Shigeru Shirakawa

Suppressive activity of some leukemic T cells from adult patients in Japan

Abstract When the stimulatory capacity of leukemic lymphocytes was investigated in mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) with peripheral blood lymphocytes from healthy individuals, some leukemic T cells from Japanese adult patients reduced background proliferation of normal lymphocytes. These leukemic T cells were effective in reducing normal lymphocyte response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) or to lymphoblastoid cell lines with B-cell properties (B-LCL) in MLC, when added as attending cells, and the activity was mitomycin-C resistant. The culture supernatants also reduced normal lymphocyte response to B-LCL, but failed to suppress markedly the response to PHA.

Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase activity in leukaemic T cells from Japanese adults.

Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) is one of the important markers for studying the derivations of the malignant haemopoietic cells (Sarin, 1977). Since the activity of this enzyme is normally confined to the possible T cell precursors in the bone marrow and thymus cells, the more mature T cells in a post-thymic stage lack this activity (Kung et al, 1975; Barr et al , 1976). The cells of T cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in infants, children or adolescents always exhibit TdT activity and are supposed to represent T cells in the thymic stage (Brouet & Seligman, 1978). In contrast, T cell malignancies in adult or aged patients, not yet fully classified (Lutzner et al, 1975), have not yet been fully studied regarding TdT activity. The cells of Skzary syndrome and mycosis fungoides have been reported to lack TdT activity (Donlon et a l , 1977; Kung et al , 1978). In Japan, variable types of T cell malignancies are found among adults, and such have been summarized as ‘adult T cell leukaemia’ (Uchiyama et al , 1977). In most cases, bizarre, lobulated cells and skin lesions are present, and distinction from Stzary syndrome is often difficult. We have investigated TdT activity in the leukaemic T cells from three Japanese adults. Table I gives details of the patients, and Table I1 shows the results of surface marker study

Intracellular immunoglobulin in lymphocytes from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia: An immunoelectron microscopic study

The presence of ultrastructural distribution of intracellular immunoglobulin (Ig) in leukemic cells from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and in normal B cells were investigated by an immunoelectron microscopic technique. Most normal B cells had no intracellular Ig in spite of the presence of surface Ig. However, leukemic cells from 10 to 11 patients with CLL contained intracellular Ig and showed various staining patterns. In eight patients, Ig was present in the perinuclear space (PN), the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and, if identified, the Golgi complexes. In four patients, most cells had diffuse staining of the cytoplasm. In five patients, Ig was detected in the ER-associated structures or the vesicles, in addition to the PN and ER. These findings suggest that CLL cells have a greater capacity to produce Ig than those of normal B cells and include various clones with distinct staining patterns of intracellular Ig.

Elevated polyamine levels in erythrocytes of SLC:ICR mice inoculated with ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells

Abstract Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells (4×105 cells/mouse) were inoculated intraperitoneally in 7-week-old SLC:ICR mice, and polyamine levels in peripheral erythrocytes and in ascites cells were determined periodically. Polyamine levels in peripheral erythrocytes increased linearly until 10 days after cell inoculation, while ascites cells showed exponential growth. The effect of carbazilquinone on cellular growth and polyamine levels in erythrocytes was also studied. When 1 or 2mg/kg of carbazilquinone was injected intraperitoneally on day 4 or on day 7, cellular growth was suppressed and the survival time of the mice was lengthened. The polyamine levels in erythrocytes were also markedly decreased 3 days after the carbazilquinone injection. These results suggest that the polyamine levels in peripheral erythrocytes are closely related to the cellular growth of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells.

Adult T cell leukemia. Histological features of the lymphoid tissues.

Recently new classifications of non-Hodgkin lymphoma including leukemic forms have been proposed from the immunocytological point of view based on T and B cell identification (1–8). Surface marker analysis of lymphoid neoplastic cells revealed that B cell malignancy is more common than T cell malignancy in adults (9). Since our initial report on chronic lymphocytic leukemia of T cell type (T CLL) (10,11), over one hundred cases of “adult T cell leukemia” have been found in Japan. Adult T cell leukemia or leukemic T cell lymphoma shows characteristic clinical features and cytological findings of leukemic cells in the peripheral blood, bone marrow and lymph nodes. In this report, a variety of histological patterns of the lymphoid tissues in this disease will be presented.