T lymphocytes in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia: characterization by monoclonal antibodies and correlation with Fc receptors.

In 35 patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL), T lymphocytes were characterized by their ability to react with OKT-4 and OKT-8 monoclonal antibodies. These T-cell subsets were also compared with the expression of Fc receptors. An imbalance in the distribution of OKT-4 and OKT-8 lymphocyte subpopulations was observed, with an overall significant reduction in the OKT-4/OKT-8 ratio. When the patients were subdivided according to Rai's staging classification, the OKT-4/OKT-8 ratio was more severely impaired in stages III and IV than in stages 0, I, and II. The correlation between the expression of Fc receptors and monoclonal antibodies revealed in both systems an increase in cells bearing suppressor phenotypes (OKT-8+ and TG+ cells) and a decrease in cells bearing helper phenotypes (OKT-4+ and TM+). However, a strict correlation between cells defined by the two assays could not be found in individual cases. In some cases a proportion of T lymphocytes (E+ and OKT-3+) did not express the OKT-4 and OKT-8 determinants; possible implications of this finding are discussed. These data provide further evidence of the T-cell abnormality in B-CLL and emphasize the importance of T-cell subsets in this disease.