Impaired T-lymphocyte colony formation in lipoid nephrosis

The T-colony-forming capacity was examined in 13 normal subjects and 14 patients with biopsy-proven lipoid nephrosis (LN). Eighteen additional patients with other well-defined forms of glomerulonephritis were studied as a disease control. Significantly fewer T lymphocyte colonies were found in LN patients and the nephrotic syndrome (NS) than in normal controls. A similar change could be observed in the groups with other types of NS. LN patients with NS had the lowest values of T-colony-forming cells (TCFC), but there was no statistically significant difference between the groups of nephrotic subjects. It was also of interest that peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from 3 patients with lupus nephritis (SLE) produced significantly low levels of TCFC. The lower levels of TCFC in LN could be enhanced when exogenous interleukin 2 (IL 2) was added to the system. We also examined the production of T-colony-stimulating factor (TCSF). The TCSF production by stimulated PBL from LN patients was lower than in normal subjects. To explain our observations, we presumed that the T colony dysfunction seen in LN patients with NS might in part be due to the decreased TCSF activity.