Thermostable erythrocyte rosette-forming lymphocytes in hereditary hemochromatosis. I: Identification in peripheral blood

Although the immunoregulatory role of iron has been demonstrated in vitro, evidence for a similar role in vivo is controversial. We have, therefore, studied certain functional and structural properties of lymphocytes in hereditary (idiopathic) hemochromatosis (HH), a disease characterized by iron ov...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of clinical immunology 1984-03, Vol.4 (2), p.134-142
Main Authors: BRYAN, C. F, LEECH, S. H, DUCOS, R, EDWARDS, C. Q, KUSHNER, J. P, SKOLNICK, M. H, BOZELKA, B, LINN, J. C, GAUMER, R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antibodies, Monoclonal
Biological and medical sciences
Hemochromatosis - blood
Hemochromatosis - genetics
Hemochromatosis - immunology
Hot Temperature
Humans
Immunoglobulins - analysis
Iron - pharmacology
Lymphocyte Activation
Lymphocytes - classification
Lymphocytes - immunology
Medical sciences
Metabolic diseases
Metals (hemochromatosis...)
Monocytes - immunology
Other metabolic disorders
Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell - analysis
Receptors, Immunologic - drug effects
Rosette Formation
Time Factors
Trypsin - pharmacology
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Summary:Although the immunoregulatory role of iron has been demonstrated in vitro, evidence for a similar role in vivo is controversial. We have, therefore, studied certain functional and structural properties of lymphocytes in hereditary (idiopathic) hemochromatosis (HH), a disease characterized by iron overload. T- and B-lymphocyte percentages in peripheral blood, serum immunoglobulin levels, and proliferative responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBM) to lectins were comparable with those of controls. Furthermore, HH serum with elevated iron concentrations did not significantly alter proliferative responses of normal lymphocytes to mitogens. In contrast to those normal findings was the identification of a subset of T lymphocytes in HH that formed rosettes with sheep red blood cells (SRC) at 37 degrees C in abnormally high numbers. Those lymphocytes that formed thermostable erythrocyte rosettes (TE-R) were not immature thymocytes, activated T lymphocytes, or an artifact of passive attachment of anti-SRC antibodies to the HH lymphocyte surface. Their presence did not correlate with a concentration of iron in the serum, the length of treatment, or the presence of the HLA antigen, A3. We conclude that the cellular expression of HH may be detected not as an immunological abnormality, but rather as an abnormality in receptor expression.
ISSN:0271-9142
1573-2592
DOI:10.1007/BF00915047