Lymphocyte stimulation in vitro by orosomucoid glycoprotein

Mitogenesis of human peripheral blood lymphocytes as measured by the uptake of [3H]thymidine was stimulated in vitro by pure orosomucoid glycoprotein when used at concentrations that are considerably lower than the physiological plasma level. The lymphocyte cultures stimulated with PHA or PWM were not affected by low concentration (67 micrograms/ml), but they were mildly suppressed by high concentration (1 mg/ml) of this glycoprotein. The stimulatory response was relatively greater with fractionated T cells than the non-T cells (B cells and monocytes). At 50 micrograms/ml concentration of orosomucoid, the lymphocyte activation was found in randomly selected blood donors which included normal healthy volunteers and patients with T cell immunodeficiency or Alzheimer's disease, demonstrating a consistent immunostimulatory action of this glycoprotein.