Human monocytes infected with Leishmania amastigotes enhance lymphocyte proliferation.

Human monocytes were infected in vitro with Leishmania tropica major (L. major) promastigotes which transformed to intracellular amastigotes. A spontaneous increase in lymphocyte proliferation occurred in mononuclear cell cultures where the monocytes had been infected with L. major organisms. In addition, an apparent additive effect of lymphocyte proliferation was seen in cultures infected with L. major following phytohaemagglutinin stimulation. This effect was apparent after 3 days in culture and the amount of increase in response was dependent on the number of monocytes in the culture. The effect was also dependent on the number of parasites ingested by the monocytes. The presence of monocytes was essential for this effect, as no enhancement was observed with supernatants from infected cells. This enhanced effect of lymphocyte proliferation was observed predominantly in the B lymphocyte subpopulation. These findings may be of relevance in the immunopathogenesis of Leishmania infections.