concanavalin-a and Lymphoma--Non-Hodgkin

The immune system is subject to destruction and dysfunction as a result of attacks by pathogenic and environmental agents. In addition, many clinical situations exist in which it is desirable to stimulate or suppress the immune system. The present study evaluated the screening efficacy of flow cytometric lymphocyte subset typing in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy individuals (HI) and from patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) treated with different concentrations of FR-91, a standardized lysate of microbial cells belonging to the Bacillus genus, and in vitro cytokine production. Increased expression of subset markers (CD3, CD4, CD8) in NHL and CD3 in HI suggests an immunomodulating effect of FR-91. In addition the results of cytokine production also demonstrated a clear effect of FR-91 on both populations. A significant increase of IL-6, IL-12, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha was observed in the HI group after treatment with FR-91. In a similar manner an increase of IL-2, IL-6, IL-12, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha was also observed in the NHL group. In conclusion FR-91 seems to affect lymphocyte subpopulations, in vitro cytokine production, as well as mitogen-induced lymphocyte activation in a dose-dependent manner in both healthy individuals and NHL patients.

Topics: Adjuvants, Immunologic; Adult; Analysis of Variance; Antigens, CD; Bacillus; Cell Extracts; Concanavalin A; Flow Cytometry; Humans; Interleukins; Leukocytes, Mononuclear; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphocyte Subsets; Lymphocytes; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Middle Aged; T-Lymphocytes

The cytolytic T lymphocyte (CTL) response has often been used to assess the reconstitution of T cell function after allogeneic or autologous bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Less is known, however, about the reconstitution of the CTL response after peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT). Therefore, we investigated the CTL response against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) of patients undergoing autologous PBSCT. CTLs of six patients with relapsed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and multiple myeloma were established before and at different times after PBSCT by in vitro stimulation of peripheral blood lymphocytes with autologous EBV-transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs). The efficiency of T cell priming by LCLs was assessed at the time of initiation of CTL lines; the proliferative response was strongly reduced during the first 4 months and increased 5 months or more following PBSCT. Cytolytic activity was measured after three or four restimulations of CTLs. All patients investigated had a detectable EBV-specific CTL response which was poor during the first weeks after transplantation, accompanied by a strong non-MHC-restricted cytotoxic activity and a high proportion of CD56-positive T cells. Five or more months after PBSCT, a specific CTL response against EBV was seen which was similar to the situation prior to PBSCT, while the unspecific cytotoxic response decreased. Blocking experiments with monoclonal anti-CD3, anti-CD8 or anti-MHC I antibodies resulted in substantial inhibition of autologous LCL lysis, whereas anti-CD4 or anti-MHC II antibodies had no effect. Finally, autologous PHA blasts of a patient with the HLA haplotype A1/9+, B5/8+, Cw4/7+, were loaded with various EBNA-derived nonapeptides known to be presented by HLA B8 or A11, and exposed to autologous, EBV-directed CTLs. Specific lysis by CTLs only occurred with HLA B8-, but not with HLA A11-restricted nonapeptides. This demonstrated the existence of an MHC I-restricted anti-EBV CTL response after PBSCT. Taken together, the results show that the anlaysis of the EBV-directed CTL activity may serve as a surrogate marker to assess the reconstitution of the cellular immune response in patients undergoing autologous PBSCT.

Topics: Amino Acid Sequence; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Concanavalin A; Epitopes; Female; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; Herpesvirus 4, Human; HLA Antigens; Humans; Immunity, Cellular; In Vitro Techniques; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Male; Middle Aged; Oligopeptides; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic; Time Factors; Transplantation, Autologous

We examined 19 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients for their responsiveness to lectin stimulation, as measured by T cell proliferative response and p55kDa-IL2R expression. Our results indicate that both these responses were remarkably depressed in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients and the deficiency of lectin-induced p55kDa-IL2R expression correlated closely with the reductions in the lectin-induced T cell proliferative responses. The evidence that costimulation with PMA can partially overcome the IL2R defect might allow us to localize the cellular defects and rationally design chemotherapeutic agents corrective for these patients' poor p55kDa-IL2R inducibility.

Topics: Aged; Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; CD3 Complex; CD4 Antigens; CD8 Antigens; Concanavalin A; Female; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; Lectins; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Male; Middle Aged; Phytohemagglutinins; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; Receptors, Interleukin-2; T-Lymphocytes; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate

CD8 cells, flow cytometrically sorted from the lymph nodes of tumor-bearing and normal SJL/J mice, suppressed in vitro proliferation of syngeneic CD4 cells in response to concanavalin A, two independent SJL/J lymphomas, and LPS-activated syngeneic B-cell blasts. The data confirm earlier reports that nonspecific suppressor cells are generated as a consequence of SJL/J lymphoma-stimulated T-cell proliferation. Earlier reports are extended, in that the suppressor cell is identified as expressing CD8, and the suppressor activity is shown to decrease the tumor-stimulated CD4 cell proliferation which is essential to growth of these CD4-dependent murine B-cell lymphomas. In three separate experiments, anti-CD8 treatment of mice, in which CD4 cells were made limiting by injection with anti-CD4, increased growth of transplantable SJL/J lymphomas with corresponding increases in numbers of CD4 cells. The data imply that, under certain conditions, CD8 suppressor cells measurably influence growth of SJL/J lymphomas by regulating the tumor-stimulated CD4 cell proliferation essential to maximum growth of SJL/J lymphomas.

Topics: Animals; Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; B-Lymphocytes; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; CD8 Antigens; Cell Division; Concanavalin A; Immunologic Techniques; Lipopolysaccharides; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Mice; Mice, Inbred Strains; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory

The effect of immunological function of GD3 on normal bovine lymphocyte was examined with various in vitro assay systems. The GD3 level in sera from enzootic bovine leukemia (EBL) cattle was significantly increased compared with that of normal cattle (EBL: 0.62 +/- 0.24 microgram/ml; normal cattle: 0.33 +/- 0.09 microgram/ml, P less than 0.05). Lymphocyte blastogenesis elicited by concanavalin A was inhibited by addition of a 50 micrograms/ml concentration, or more, of GD3. Inhibitory effect of GD3 in IL-2-dependent T cell line and EBL tumor cell line was hardly observed compared with normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells. GD3 also inhibited mixed lymphocyte reaction and allo cytotoxic T lymphocyte reaction.

Topics: Animals; Cattle; Cattle Diseases; Concanavalin A; Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; Gangliosides; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Neutrophils; T-Lymphocytes; Tumor Cells, Cultured

We describe the immunologic characteristics of malignant T cells of a T-cell lymphoma patient. The neoplastic cells in lymph node expressed OKT3+, OKT11-, E-rosetting-, OKT4-, OKT8+, OKIa1+, OKDR+ suppressor-T-cell phenotype. Functionally, these malignant T cells did not respond to phytohemagglutinin, but produced a good response to concanavalin A. A defect in expression of interleukin 2 receptors was evident in phytohemagglutinin-activated T cells. In vitro immunoglobulin production experiments demonstrated that patient's malignant T cells possess helper function on normal B cells to produce IgM, and suppressor function to produce IgG.

Topics: Abdominal Neoplasms; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Concanavalin A; Female; Humans; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell; Lymph Nodes; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphocyte Cooperation; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Middle Aged; Phenotype; Phytohemagglutinins; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory

The glycoprotein composition of a transplantable subcutaneous lymphosarcoma (1 degree) and its liver metastases (2 degrees) have been examined in Triton X-100 extracts obtained from tissue, single cells and membrane preparations by using electrophoresis and treatment with radio-labelled lectins. No consistent differences could be detected in the electrophoretic patterns of 1 degree and 2 degrees tumour using RCA-60 or gorse. Small differences were detected using Concanavalin A; all but one of these were eliminated as being due to differential host contamination. A minor band of 178,000 daltons molecular weight was found in 1 degree tissue, cells and membranes that was absent in extracts from 2 degrees tumour. Percoll density gradient separations suggested that this glycoprotein belonged to a small subpopulation of cells; their identity remains uncertain. The band was still detected when tumour was grown from direct liver implants, but it disappeared when this growth metastasized to another lobe. The results provide evidence that metastasis can be accompanied by a very subtle change in the tumour glycoprotein profile. Such a change may have important consequences for host/tumour interactions and subsequent metastatic spread.

Topics: Animals; Autoradiography; Cell Membrane; Cell Separation; Concanavalin A; Cricetinae; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Glycoproteins; Lectins; Liver Neoplasms; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Membrane Proteins; Mesocricetus; Plant Lectins; Skin Neoplasms

Equine lymphocytes incubated with Con A and isolated on discontinuous BSA density gradients suppressed mixed lymphocyte reactions in a cell dose- and Con A dose-dependent manner. Suppressor lymphocytes were radiosensitive, even after the initial Con A incubation phase was completed. Suppressor activity was consistently demonstrated using peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes from normal horses, but was absent in thymus cells and variably present in lymph node cells. Suppressor lymphocytes were present in horses with selective IgM deficiency, and within neoplastic lymph nodes from a horse with lymphosarcoma and concomitant IgM deficiency. Suppressor cells were not detected in 5 of 6 horses with severe combined immunodeficiency.

Topics: Animals; Cell Separation; Concanavalin A; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; Dysgammaglobulinemia; Horse Diseases; Horses; Humans; Immunoglobulin M; Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes; Inosine Pranobex; Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory

Topics: Animals; Autoradiography; Binding Sites; Cell Line; Concanavalin A; Glycoproteins; Lectins; Liver Neoplasms; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Mice; Neoplasm Transplantation; Receptors, Concanavalin A; Sarcoma, Experimental; Transplantation, Homologous

Plastic dishes were coated with an agarose layer. The layer was modified by covalently binding proteins to it, using the CNBr-method. Cells were seeded on the dishes and the number of attached cells was evaluated. The specificity of the attachment was demonstrated by showing that cells, carrying specific membrane-bound immunoglobulins, attached only to the corresponding anti-immunoglobulins. This indicated that the method could be used for cell sorting. The attachment of cells to proteins was influenced by the amount of bound protein, incubation time, temperature and the degree of trypsinization. Most attached cells were viable for several days and when dying they detached. Detailed morphological and cytochemical analyses of the dynamics of attachment and cytoplasmic spreading on the chemically well-defined surfaces were possible using the new method.

Topics: Burkitt Lymphoma; Cell Adhesion; Cell Line; Concanavalin A; Glioma; Humans; Leukemia; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Neuroglia; Polylysine; Polysaccharides; Protamines; Protein Binding; Proteins; Sepharose

Peripheral blood lymphocytes and their in vitro reactivity have been recorded prior to treatment in 18 patients with Hodgkins disease, 11 with lymposarcoma, 13 with reticulosarcoma, 20 with various solid tumors and 37 normal control persons. The mean total numbers of lymphocytes, those of T lymphocytes,and the mean reactivity to PHA and ConA were reduced in all groups except lymphosarcoma, although with varying degrees of statistical significance. The percentages of T and B lymphocytes appeared to be normal in all groups, but the ranges of values were somewhat greater than among the normal controls. The mean total numbers of B lymphocytes were normal in all patient groups. All reductions seemed to be more pronounced in patients with disseminated than in those with localized disease, but none of these differences was statistically significant. All patient groups appeared to have reduced reactivity in MLC, while the ability to stimulate control lymphocytes was nearly normal. The results fail to indicate an in vitro immunological abberation specific to Hodgkin's disease. It seems that human malignant, neoplastic diseases are associated with a relatively selective reduction of the total numbers and reactivity of blood T lymphocytes. Various explanations of the reactivity impairment are proposed. The pathogenesis of the reduction of the total number of blood T lymphocytes remains obscure.

Topics: Adult; Aged; B-Lymphocytes; Concanavalin A; Female; Hodgkin Disease; Humans; Immune Adherence Reaction; Immunity, Cellular; Immunoglobulins; Lectins; Leukocyte Count; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; Lymphoma; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Male; Middle Aged; Mitogens; T-Lymphocytes

The influence of the mitogen concanavalin A (Con A) on the production of bovine leukemia virus (BLV) antigen in short-term lymphocyte cultures was determined by means of a single radial immunodiffusion test. Con A did not affect viral antigen production in peripheral blood lymphocytes from 60% of both experimentally and naturally infected cattle. Antigen production was stimulated by Con A in lymphocytes from 28% of the cattle, but it was inhibited in lymphocytes from 12%. Similar results were also obtained with lymphocytes from both blood and lymph nodes from 10 cattle with lymphosarcoma and from 10 clinically normal cattle with histologically normal lymph nodes. In sheep and goats, Con A had no effect on lymphocytes from 50%, stimulated BLV production in 43%, and inhibited BLV production in 7%. These results indicated that lymphocytes should be cultured with and without Con A to identify every BLV-infected animal.

Topics: Animals; Antigens, Neoplasm; Antigens, Viral; Cattle; Concanavalin A; In Vitro Techniques; Leukemia Virus, Bovine; Leukemia, Experimental; Lymph Nodes; Lymphocytes; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Retroviridae; Sarcoma, Experimental

The purified lymphocytosis promoting factor (LPF) from Bordetella pertussis was found to be a potent mitogen for peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from normal adults as well as for cord blood lymphocytes. Proliferation occurred in autologous plasma or fetal calf serum, regardless of previous exposure to pertussis infection or immunization. Only one adult human serum, from a physician constantly working with B. pertussis, inhibited the mitogenic response to LPF and this serum was shown to contain precipitating antibody against LPF. The proliferative effect of LPF was characteristic of a "nonspecific" mitogen and not of antigen stimulation of sensitized cells.LPF, phytohemagglutinin, and concanavalin A were approximately equal in potency although variation occurred depending upon the cell donor. Experiments with lymphocyte subpopulations obtained by rosetting techniques employing sheep erythrocytes, mouse erythrocytes, and sheep erythrocytes coated with antibody and complement suggested the requirement of a multicellular system for LPF mitogencity.PBL from most patients with chronic lymphatic leukemia and lymphosarcoma cell leukemia were even less responsive to LPF than to phytohemagglutinin, whereas PBL from patients with lymphosarcoma usually responded to both mitogens. It can be inferred from the results of experiments with both normal and leukemic cells that LPF, which is a murine thymus-derived (T)-cell mitogen, is also a T-cell mitogen for human PBL. The exact cell requirement and mode of action, however, are as yet unknown.

Topics: Adult; Bordetella pertussis; Concanavalin A; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Lectins; Leukemia, Lymphoid; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Mitogens

The reactivity of peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients with advanced malignancy was assessed by mitogen-induced stimulation of protein synthesis as measured by 3H-leucine incorporation. It was confirmed that the lymphocyte response of patients was depressed. Furthermore, the lymphocytes of 15 out of 27 cancer patients, selected because of their low responses, inhibited the reactivity of normal lymphocytes in co-cultures. The lymphocytes from one patient with Hodgkin's disease were also inhibitory. In contrast, lymphocytes from healthy subjects, patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, lymphosarcoma or multiple myeloma caused no suppression. Experiments with purified cell populations from patients with carcinoma indicated that purified T cells responded to mitogens while unseparated lymphocytes failed to respond and that the inhibitory activity was due to adherent cells, presumably monocytes. There was no evidence for B-cell-mediated suppression. However, in two cases inhibition was caused by isolated T cells of the patients and not by adherent cells. These experiments suggested that one mechanism for the depression of cell-mediated immunity seen in patients with advanced cancer may be the nonspecific suppresssion of certain T-cell functions by circulating monocytes.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Carcinoma, Bronchogenic; Cells, Cultured; Concanavalin A; Hodgkin Disease; Humans; Immune Adherence Reaction; Lectins; Leukemia, Lymphoid; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphocyte Transfusion; Lymphocytes; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Middle Aged; Mitogens; Multiple Myeloma; Neoplasm Proteins; Neoplasms; T-Lymphocytes

Topics: Agglutination Tests; B-Lymphocytes; Burkitt Lymphoma; Cell Membrane; Concanavalin A; Hodgkin Disease; Humans; Leukemia, Lymphoid; Lymph Nodes; Lymphocytes; Lymphoma; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Receptors, Concanavalin A; Remission, Spontaneous; Spleen

Glucocorticoid-resistant P1798 cell lines have been found to contain levels of glucocorticoid receptor comparable to receptor levels in glucocorticoid-sensitive P1798 cells. Previously, most of the P1798 resistant cells examined were found to contain low levels of glucocorticoid receptor, and this was thought to account for the resistance of these cells to glucocorticoid treatment. Resistant cells with high receptor levels exhibited 10 to 50 percent lower levels of nuclear binding than did sensitive cells. In addition, 90 percent of the glucocorticoid-receptor complex could be extracted from resistant nuclei with 0.2 M NaCl, while only 55 percent of the complex could be extracted from sensitive nuclei, indicating that the affinity of the hormone-receptor complex for resistant nuclei may be weaker than the affinity of the hormone-receptor complex for sensitive nuclei. The effect of concanavalin A was also examined in P1798 sensitive and resistant cells. Concanavalin A effectively lowered glucocorticoid receptor levels in the sensitive cells by 45 percent, while receptor levels of the resistant cells were only slightly lowered. The effect of concanavalin A was both temperature dependent (effective at 37 degrees but not 0 degrees) and time dependent. Thus glucocorticoid resistance of P1798 cells appears to have a more complex mechanism than previously proposed.

Topics: Animals; Cell Nucleus; Concanavalin A; Dexamethasone; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Inbred DBA; Neoplasms, Experimental; Receptors, Glucocorticoid; Receptors, Steroid; Temperature

Mitogen-induced blast transformation of peripheral blood lymphocytes and quantitative changes in circulating T- and B-cells were studied serially in cats inoculated with feline leukemia virus (FeLV). Concanavalin A-induced blast transformation sharply declined beginning at 5 weeks post inoculation (Pl) in FeLV-infected cats when compared to age-matched uninfected control cats. Similar but less consistent changes were seen in responses to pokeweed mitogen-induced stimulation. In most infected kittens this defect persisted until they died from thymic lymphosarcoma, 15-24 weeks Pl. An early lymphopenia, due primarily to a decrease in circulating B-cells, occurred in infected cats 5-8 weeks Pl. Following a return of total and B-lymphocytes to control values, infected cats developed increased numbers of T-cells at 16 or more weeks Pl, which correlated with circulating lymphoblastic lymphocytes bearing T-cell markers. These results correlated neoplasia arising in a thymus-derived lymphocyte population with mitogenic hyporeactivity in the preneoplastic period and suggested that FeLV-induced immune alterations may be a necessary antecedent of leukemogenesis in the cat.

Topics: Animals; B-Lymphocytes; Cats; Concanavalin A; Erythrocytes; Immunosuppression Therapy; Leukemia Virus, Feline; Leukemia, Experimental; Leukocyte Count; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Mitogens; Neoplasms, Experimental; T-Lymphocytes; Thymus Neoplasms

Long-term syngeneic radiation chimeras displayed a very low incidence of reticulum cell sarcoma as compared with control mice. Immune reactivity of these animals was studied in vivo by anti-dinitrophenyl antibody titer and affinity and in vitro by mitotic responsiveness to phytohemagglutinin, concanavalin A and lipopolysaccharide. Anti-body titer and affinity as well as the response to T lectins were found to be increased in chimeras. These results were attributed to increased function of mature T2 cells, which could explain the reduced incidence of reticulum cell sarcoma in chimeras.

Topics: Animals; Antibodies; Antibody Formation; Concanavalin A; Lectins; Lipopolysaccharides; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C3H; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Radiation Chimera; Spleen; Time Factors

Topics: Agglutination; Animals; Antibody Formation; Cells, Cultured; Concanavalin A; Female; Glutaral; Hot Temperature; Humans; Leukemia; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Mice; Neoplasm Transplantation; Neoplasms, Experimental; Neuraminidase

The response of cultured peripheral blood lymphocytes from cattle affected with bovine leukosis and from animals free of detectable leukosis to the nonspecific mitogen Concanavalin A ws determined by the measurement of 3H-thymidine incorporation. The stimulatory effect of the mitogen was significantly decreased in leukotic lymphocytes in comparison with normal lymphocytes. This depression was dependent on the severity of the disease. Leukotic lymphocytes showed high basal levels of spontaneous thymidine uptake possibly due to their low maturity. It is suggested that leukotic lymphocytes are not stimulated by Concanavalin A because of their B cell characteristics. A residual cell population of normal reacting lymphocytes--enriched by nylon wool column fractionation--is probably responsible for the remaining but weak in vitro reaction of leukotic lymphocytes.

Topics: Animals; Cattle; Cattle Diseases; Concanavalin A; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin

A method potentially capable of enhancing the effectiveness of therapeutic enzymes such as L-asparaginase was investigated. The method was suggested by the following properties that have been observed for lectins injected into tissues: (1) six lectins with differing specificities were retained near the site of injection in the feet of mice 10 to 100 times longer than several non-lectin proteins. Prolonged retention of 125I-labelled concanavalin A was also observed in other normal and malignant mouse tissues. (2) The retention of 125I-labelled concanavalin A was not affected by prior immunization against concanavalin A. (3) Electrophoresis of tissue extracts on sodium dodecyl sulfate-poly-acrylamide gels followed by radioautography indicated that the 125I-labelled concanavalin A retained in the tissue remained as intact in form as prior to injection. Since the therapeutic efficacy of many enzymes may be enhanced by localization at the intended site of action, in principle it should be possible to enhance the effectiveness of therapeutic enzymes by combining the tissue-localizing properties of a lectin with therapeutic effectiveness of the enzyme. A conjugate of E. coli L-asparaginase and concanavalin A has been prepared by covalent cross-linking with glutaraldehyde and has been shown to be retained in mouse tissue 90 times longer than the free enzyme. However, it is completely ineffective in the treatment of the L-asparaginase-sensitive lymphosarcoma 6C3HED in C3H/HeJ mice. The ineffectiveness of the conjugated enzyme may be associated with the interiorization of the conjugate by the cells of the tumor.

Topics: Animals; Asparaginase; Cell Line; Concanavalin A; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Immunization; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Mice; Neoplasms, Experimental; Serum Albumin, Bovine

Concanavalin A (Con A) induces movement of its receptors on the cell surface membrane. This induction results in a concentration of Con A site complexes on one pole of the cell to form a cap. A marked difference was found in the mobility of Con A receptor between lymphocytes from normal persons and lymphocytes from patients with Hodgkin's disease and other malignant lymphomas. Lymphocytes isolated from tonsils of patients undergoing tonsillectomy and from axillary lymph nodes of breast cancer patients exhibited approximately 30% of cells with caps, which is identical with the cap formation ability of normal lymphocytes. In biopsy material from patients with Hodgkin's disease and other malignant lymphomas, a significant decrease in the ability of the lymphocytes to form caps was observed. This difference in the mobility of Con A sites was even more pronounced in lymphocytes isolated from the peripheral blood. In 123 patients with Hodgkin's disease and other malignant lymphomas, cap formation ranged between 3 and 12%. The ability of cells, from a normal donor or a lymphoma patient, to form caps was independent of the source from which the lymphocytes were isolated, e.g., lymph node, spleen, or blood. Lymphocytes from patients with lymphoma were also agglutinated by Con A to a higher degree than normal lymphocytes. These findings are discussed in relation to the association of the lymphocytes with these malignancies and as a possible aid in their differential diagnosis.

Topics: Agglutination; Binding Sites, Antibody; Cell Membrane; Concanavalin A; Hodgkin Disease; Humans; Lymph Nodes; Lymphocytes; Lymphoma; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Palatine Tonsil

Maintenance of remission solely by repeated BCG vaccinations in seven patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma who had achieved a complete clinical remission with initial standard therapy has provided sufficient encouragement to begin a randomized clinical trial. In vitro lymphocyte responses to mitogens and PPD used as parameters of cell-mediated immunity have not proved to be of value in predicting early or late recurrence in six pre-trial and trial patients. Eight out of twenty-one patients with malignant melanoma have shown a satisfactory clinical response (10-34 months) to immunotherapy. Those who respond must show immunological reactivity to the stimulating agent, however the best clinical responses were not associated with the highest degrees of in vivo and in vitro sensitization. The skin reactivity and the in vitro lymphocyte response to PPD as well as a 2-3-fold increase in the appearance of colony-forming units in the peripheral blood following the intratumour injection of BCG or PPD are helpful in prognosis and management of these patients. All patients with malignant melanoma who presented with a PHA response less than 40% of normal made a poor response to immunotherapy. Autopsies performed on seven patients dying with extensive melanocarcinomatous disease failed to show any serious adverse toxic reactions or infections from oral and intratumour injections of BCG.

Topics: Administration, Oral; Adult; BCG Vaccine; Concanavalin A; DNA; Female; Hematopoietic Stem Cells; Humans; Immunoglobulins; Immunotherapy; Injections, Intradermal; Lectins; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphoma; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Melanoma; Skin Neoplasms; Tuberculin; Vaccinia virus

Topics: Binding Sites; Bone Marrow; Bone Marrow Cells; Concanavalin A; Fluoresceins; Hodgkin Disease; Humans; Leukemia; Lymphoma; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Microscopy, Fluorescence; Receptors, Drug

Topics: Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Concanavalin A; Hodgkin Disease; Humans; Immune Adherence Reaction; Immunity, Cellular; Lectins; Leukemia, Lymphoid; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Mitogens; T-Lymphocytes

Topics: Animals; Antigens, Viral; Cattle; Cattle Diseases; Cells, Cultured; Concanavalin A; Immunodiffusion; Lymphocytes; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Oncogenic Viruses; Precipitins; Retroviridae; RNA Viruses; Sheep; Sheep Diseases

Topics: Adult; Aged; Animals; Antilymphocyte Serum; B-Lymphocytes; Binding Sites; Cell Membrane; Concanavalin A; Erythrocytes; Female; Fluorescent Antibody Technique; Humans; Immune Adherence Reaction; Immunoglobulin G; Immunoglobulin M; Isoantigens; Leukemia, Lymphoid; Leukocyte Count; Lymphocytes; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Male; Middle Aged; Sheep; T-Lymphocytes

Topics: Agglutination Tests; Animals; Binding Sites, Antibody; Cells, Cultured; Concanavalin A; Female; Glycoproteins; Histocompatibility Antigens; Lectins; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Mice; Neoplasm Transplantation; Transplantation, Homologous

Topics: Animals; Antigens, Neoplasm; Concanavalin A; Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; Immunization; Lectins; Leukemia; Leukemia, Experimental; Lymphocytes; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Mice; Neoplasm Transplantation; Sarcoma, Experimental