IMMUNOLOGICAL STUDIES IN MYCOSIS FUNGOIDES

[摘要] Horse anti-M.F. [mycosis-fungoides] serum fixed complement in the presence of M.F. tumor homogenates and normal lymph node homogenates. Ultracentrifuge fractionation of these tumor homogenates indicated that the antigen is saline soluble and can be completely removed by centrifugation for 2 hr. at 100,000 G. Fluorescein isothlocyanate conjugated horse anti-M.F. serum labelled the peripheral rim of cytoplasm in the cells of the infiltrate in M.F. tumors. Similarly conjugated normal horse globulin failed to do so. Cytoplasm of the following cells was labelled by horse anti-M.F. serum: He La cells, human bone cells and epithelial cells in tissue culture media, buffy coat cells, and pure lymphocyte mixtures. The cytoplasmic fluorescence of M.F. cells was completely removed when the conjugated serum was absorbed with M.F. tumor tissue and also reduced with normal lymph node homogenates. It was not absorbed with normal serum, normal skin homogenates or human red blood cells. Horse anti-M.F. serum and to a lesser extent normal horse serum were markedly cytotoxic to human white blood cells which were cultured for 5 days. At lower concentrations, the horse anti-M.F. serum, in addition to having moderate cytotoxic effects, apparently stimulated a few lymphocytes to transform to large lymphoblastic-like cells which rarely underwent division and also caused marked agglutination of all the surviving large and small mononuclear cells. Antibodies to the cytoplasm of human lymphocytes were produced when autologous M.F. tumor tissue plus Freund''s adjuvant was injected intracutaneously in patients with M.F. There was no evidence of circulating antibodies to tumor tissue in the serum of untreated patients with M.F.