Functional studies on lymphocytes from two siblings with congenital hypogammaglobulinaemia

Two brothers with hypogammaglobulinaemia classified as common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) were investigated for distribution of peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) subpopulations, DNA synthesis and plaque-forming cell (PFC) capability of pokeweed mitogen (PWM) activated autologous and allogenic cocultures. Both patients had a decreased absolute number of T cells and normal or elevated levels of surface immunoglobulin (SmIg) bearing cells. Isolated B cells cocultured with autologous or allogeneic 4000 r irradiated T cells responded subnormally to PWM monitored by the 3H-thymidine incorporation in microcultures whereas B cells cocultured with allogeneic untreated normal T cells proliferated normally. PBL from parallel macrocultures of unfractionated or T/B separated patients' cells were not able to produce plaques using a reversed haemolytic protein A assay. Addition of glucocorticoid to unfractionated PBL did not reverse the unresponsiveness. In allogeneic cocultures patients' untreated or 2000 r irradiated T cells induced a normal PFC response. Normal untreated T cells induced a reduced number of IgM- and IgG-PFC from patients' B cells but this response was almost eliminated using irradiated normal T cells. These results demonstrate a primary B cell defect in the patients and indicate an impaired cooperation between patients' B and T cells. Activation of patients' B cells to Ig secretion requires the presence of proliferating T cells.