Colony formation and interleukin 2 production by leukaemic human T cells

PHA-induced colony formation and interleukin 2 (IL-2) production were studied in four patients with T cell leukaemia (three cases OKT4+/T helper and one case OKT8+/T cytotoxic suppressor). Cases of T helper cell leukaemia showed colony formation that was comparable to normal purified blood T cells and was not dependent on the addition of conditioned medium, containing IL-2 activity, to cultures. In contrast the T suppressor cell leukaemia formed colonies only when cultures were supplemented with IL-2 containing medium. When IL-2 production by PHA stimulated cells was measured culture supernatants from the three T helper cell leukaemias all showed normal or high levels of activity, when compared to normal blood mononuclear cells, whereas the T suppressor cell leukaemia showed no activity.