Autolymphocytotoxins Following Immunization by Pregnancy, Transplantation, and Disease

Abstract

Antibodies which were cytotoxic to lymphocytes were found in patients with kidney transplants, Graves' disease, Hashimoto's disease, rheumatic heart disease, and in multiparous women. These cytotoxins were 19S, optimally reactive at 15° C, were autocytotoxic to lymphocytes, and were inactive against granulocytes. The specificity of their reactivity to allogeneic lymphocytes was unrelated to HL‐A specificities. In fact, though the sera varied from 1% to 99% in reactivity against a panel of random donors, much of the variation seems to be of a quantitative nature with relatively little specificity. Out of 6,105 x2 comparisons between 110 sera of the diseases mentioned above, 83% were positive and none of the negative x2 values were statistically significant. It is concluded that diverse stimuli elicit the formation of these low avidity 198 antibodies which are directed against a non‐HL‐A antigen richly represented on lymphocytes. Although their biologic significance may be difficult to show, as with cold hemagglutinins, they could possibly act as a “natural” antilymphocytic serum.

A Naturally Occurring Monospecific Anti‐HL‐A8 Isoantibody

“…The reactivity of SA's serum seems distinct from the rather nonspecific serum cytotoxicity reported recently by Naito et al (1971 ) for a number of diseases. Although an earlier report from the same laboratory ) mentioned an unexpected amount of anti-HL-A22 and anti-'re54 reactivity in cases of lupus erythemations and other diseases, the transfusionallparity history of these patients was not given.…”

“…Prior studies have documented the occurrence of lymphocytotoxic antibodies in the sera of persons with various diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, chronic thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, leukemia, multiple myeloma, infectious mononucleosis, rubella, measles and others , Naito et al 1971, Falk et al 1972, Kuwert & Bertrams 1972, Walford 1970, Waters et al 1971, and Williams et al 1971. Moljtly these antibodies have been of low titer, more reactive at 4' C than at room temperature or 3 7 O C , and have shown no obvious serologic correla-tion to the HL-A system.…”

Non‐HLA Lymphocyte Cytotoxins in Various Diseases

“…Since our demonstration that such antibodies can best be found when the incubation temperature is lowered , numerous reports of cold cytatoxins have appeared. There is general agreement that these antibodies are IgM in nature , Winfield et al 1975, Naito et al 1971, are optimally reactive in the cold , Winfield et al 1975, Naito et al 1971, Jeannet et al 1973, have low avidity , Winfield et al 1975, Naito et al 1971, have no set specificity (Winfield et al 1975, Naito et al 1971, Jeannet et al 1973, and are often autocytotoxic , Winfield e t al. 1975, Naito et al 1971, Jeannet et al 1973, Park et al 1977.…”

Cold Lymphocytotoxins in Infections and Parasitic Infestations

“…+15O C and different from anti-HL-A lymphocytotoxic antibodies have been described by . These antibodies can be found in various illnesses and under various circumstances, as is shown in the studies made by , Kreisler et al (1970Kreisler et al ( , 1971)) Naito et al (1971), . Thus, lymphocytotoxic antibodies seem to be not very specific, and their significance is still unknown.…”

“…This gradation shows that the cytotoxic antibodies discovered are probably the same antibodies in every case and, however strong they may be, their nature is identical. Naito et al (1971) are of the opinion that sera containing cold cytotoxins of varying origins are only quantitatively different from one another. O u r conclusion, although reached in a different manner, agrees with theirs.…”