Formation of total and stable E-rosettes by lymphocytes from patients with pulmonary tuberculosis stimulated by Con A or PPD

The percentage of total and stable E-rosette forming lymphocytes (tE-RFC and sE-RFC, respectively) were determined in the peripheral blood of patients with either active non-chronic, active chronic or inactive pulmonary tuberculosis as well as in healthy controls, both skin test positive and negative. Patients had low percentages of tE-RFC but increased values of sE-RFC when compared with controls. Lymphocytes cultured for 48 hr with or without 10 micrograms/ml of Con A exhibited decreased capacity to form total E-rosettes. Mitogen stimulation resulted in a very significant increase in the percentage of sE-RFC from control individuals. Although lymphocytes from tuberculous patients were able to respond to Con A stimulation, this response was significantly diminished compared to the controls. Incubation of the cells in the presence of various concentrations of PPD did not affect the formation of total E-rosettes by normal cells nor by lymphocytes obtained from tuberculous patients. Nevertheless, PPD induced a significant increase in the percentage of sE-RFC from normal tuberculin positive controls whereas lymphocytes from the same group incubated without antigen or cells from tuberculin negative controls cultured in the presence of 50 micrograms/ml of PPD did not form sE-RFC, indicating that the response might be antigen specific. Even though lymphocytes from patients with active tuberculosis formed higher numbers of stable E-rosettes than controls, they did not respond to antigen with significant increases of sE-RFC. In all the experiments it was not possible to demonstrate differences between the 3 groups of patients with various stages of the infection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)