Interferon Production by Human Leucocytes in vitro. Reduced Levels In Lymphatic Leukemia.

Insoluble PHA – A B-Cell Mitogen in Man?

“…The B-cell nature of lymphocytes in CLL is well-established [8,10,16,17,20]. There is some evidence of a functionally defective cell population in CLL: lymphocytes from patients with CLL show a low content of lysosomal enzymes [2], the production of interferon is re duced [14], the receptors for PHA are diminished [13], leukemic B-lym phocytes recirculate poorly in comparison to normal B-cells [5]. The fact that leukemic lymphocytes were almost insensitive to insoluble PHA -a mitogen primarily affecting human B-lymphocytes -further supports the hypothesis of functionally defective lymphocytes in this disease.…”

Mouse Leukemia: Depression of Serum Interferon Production

“…interferon as compared with normal white cells(12), and, in mice, replacement of normal leukocytes by leukemic cells could be partly responsible for the depressed levels of serurn interferon. This possibility is supported by the fact that both NDV-and poly(I) * poly(C)-induced interferon originates in cells derived from hemopoietic stem cells.…”

Interferon Production by Human Lymphoblastoid Cell Lines of Different Origins

“…Thus the relatively high proportion of cell lines derived from leukaemic patients included in the spontaneously developed group may have influenced the quantitative distinction betwen these and the in vitro transformed lines, mentioned above. Lee et al (1966) studied the production of interferon by leukocytes obtained directly from patients with various forms of leukaemia and their results suggest that leukocytes from patients with lymphocytic leukaemia produce relatively little interferon in response to virus inducers. Interestingly, we obtained similar results with cell lines derived from leukaemic patients.…”