Apoptosis of T cells in multicentric Castleman's disease

Profound immunodeficiency in multicentric Castleman's disease has already been elucidated. In the present study, we investigated CD45RO and Fas antigen expression and apoptosis by T cells in three patients with this disease. T cell expression of CD45RO and Fas antigen was increased in two of the three patients, indicating in vivo lymphocyte activation. Apoptosis of T cells from the two patients with increased CD45RO and Fas antigen expression occurred after overnight culture in the presence of pokeweed mitogen. Occurrence of apoptosis was indicated by DNA laddering and nuclear chromatin condensation. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from the two MCD patients revealed spontaneous apoptosis following 3 days of culture by quantitative assay using flow cytometry. These findings show that T cells are activated in some patients with multicentric Castleman's disease and suggest that this activation may promote apoptosis.