The effect of adenosine on lymphoid cell proliferation and antibody formation.

The discovery of an association of certain primary defects in human purine metabolism with immunodeficiency disease has served to focus attention on the possible role of purine compounds in the functional activity of lymphoic cells. Considerable evidence has accumulated of the need within the intact organism for purine and pyrimidine compounds supplied by the liver as a supplementary nutritional requirement for the growth of the rapidly proliferating tissues of certain organ systems. Likewise, lymphoid cells cultured in vitro show evidence of an enhancement of indices of cellular proliferation and of antibody synthesis when exogenous adenosine is added to the medium. These functions are inhibited by high concentrations of adenosine and there is some evidence that T-cell proliferation shows a greater sensitivity to inhibition by adenosine than B-cells. These observations may be significant in relation to the known defects in human purine metabolism and their mechanism for producing immunodeficiency.