Production of basic fetoprotein in human peripheral lymphocytes during blastic transformation

To clarify the significance of basic fetoprotein (BFP) in lymphocytes, we investigated whether BFP is produced in lymphocytes during blastic transformation. Peripheral blood lymphocytes obtained from 14 adults were cultured under the stimulation of lectins. The concentration of BFP in the culture medium (extracellular BFP) was estimated serially. The incorporation of [6-3H]-thymidine was assayed simultaneously. The intracellular BFP was measured by dual flow cytometry for DNA and BFP. A lymph node was studied immunohistochemically. Serum BFP was measured in four cases of lymphocytic leukaemia. In two cases, dual staining was performed. The intracellular BFP of the mitogen-stimulated lymphocytes was increased within 24 h. The extracellular BFP was increased exponentially from 72 h. The extracellular BFP at 96 h did not correlate with the [3H]-thymidine incorporation. The intracellular BFP increase began in G1 phase. Immunostaining showed that the B cells also produced BFP. The serum BFP level in leukaemia was high in 1 of 4 cases and the leukaemic cells in two cases showed high intracellular BFP content. These observations indicate that BFP is produced in activated human lymphocytes and in lymphocytic leukaemic cells. The production of BFP during blastic transformation will be a useful new in vitro model for studying the biological role of BFP, and BFP labelling may offer some new possibilities for the study of lymphocytes.