T-lymphocyte colonies in the lymphoproliferative disorders.

Human lymphocytes from peripheral blood, bone marrow spleen and lymph nodes were cultured. Continuous phytoheamagglutinin (PHA) stimulation was used, first during a 24 h liquid preincubation, then during a 5 day culture in methylcellulose. In normal donors a rapid colony formation took place, with a mean of 124+/-82 colonies per 1 times 10(5) preincubated lymphocytes. Cells from such colonies were studied by cytology, scanning electron microscopy and rosette formation techniques; arguments favour the hypothesis that these could be T lymphocytes. Neither granulocytes nor macrophages could be grown, and no lymphoid colony formation occurred without PHA stimulation. The same technique was applied to patients with various lymphoproliferative disorders. Significant colony suppression was observed in nearly every case of chronic lymphatic leukaemia; the number of colonies was reduced in some patients with acute lymphatic leukaemia, lymphosarcoma, dysglobulinaemia and Hodgkin's disease. This lymphoid culture method should be applied to a larger number of patients to determine whether it has a classification value and/or prognostic significance. When colonies were grown in pathological states, rosette formation was identical to that of normal donors; colony formation could be due to persisting normal lymphocytes.