Growth factor-mediated proliferation in B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas
RJ Ford, NM Kouttab, CG Sahasrabuddhe, FM Davis and SR Mehta
The non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHLs) are a heterogeneous group of human
lymphoid tumors, primarily of B cell lineage, which appear to represent
arrested stages in B lymphocyte differentiation. Control of cell
proliferation is a fundamentally important but poorly understood area of
study in these tumors. We have studied a representative group of B cell
NHLs to assess their potential for growth factor-mediated proliferation in
vitro. Our results show that purified monoclonal NHL B cells of the small
cell (well-differentiated lymphocytic lymphoma, nodular poorly
differentiated lymphocytic lymphoma, etc) type, that were positive for the
human malignancy-associated nucleolar antigen could be stimulated by human
B cell growth factor (BCGF) to proliferate in vitro. Other B cell
activators such as insoluble anti-Ig and the mitogen protein A also could
stimulate thymidine incorporation in the lymphoma cell populations. In
vitro lymphoma cell growth could be maintained in the presence of the
growth factor for up to five weeks. The large B cell type NHL, however,
appeared to be refractory to in vitro stimulation by BCGF as well as other
stimulators of normal B cells. These studies suggest that human B cell
lymphoid tumors are not only phenotypically similar to their normal B
lymphocyte counterparts, but are also sensitive in some cases, to the same
types of immunoregulatory molecules that control normal lymphoid cell
growth.
Volume 65,
Issue 6,
pp. 1335-1341,
06/01/1985
Copyright © 1985 by The American Society of Hematology
