Lymphocyte enzyme activities in immunodeficiency syndromes with particular reference to common variable hypogammaglobulinaemia.

Circulating non-T lymphocytes had higher activities of 5'nucleotidase (plasma membrane), neutral alpha-glucosidase (endoplasmic reticulum) and basal leucine amino-peptidase than did T lymphocytes. Activities of catalase (peroxisomes), malate dehydrogenase (mitochondria), lactate dehydrogenase (cytosol) and N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase, beta-glucuronidase and acid phosphatase (lysosomes), were similar in the lymphocyte subfractions. Lymphocyte 5'nucleotidase (plasma membrane) in patients with common variable hypogammaglobulinaemia is much lower than normal. However, the decrease is less marked in X-linked hypogammaglobulinaemia, chronic lymphatic leukaemia or protein loosing enteropathy or in lymphocytes isolated from cord blood. Cells from patients with nephrotic syndrome had normal levels of 5'nucleotidase. Other plasma membrane marker enzymes (gamma-glutamyl transferase, leucine amino-peptidase) were normal in lymphocytes from patients with common variable hypogammaglobulinaemia. There is a selective reduction of mitochondrial (malate dehydrogenase) and cytosolic (lactate dehydrogenase) enzymes, with normal activities of lysosomal, peroxisomal and endoplasmic reticulum enzymes, in patients with common variable hypogammaglobulinaemia. The lymphocyte subcellular organelles in normal subjects and patients with common variable hypogammaglobulinaemia have similar properties on sucrose density gradient centrifugation. It is suggested that lymphocytes from patients with common variable hypogammaglobulinaemia show a specific enzymopathy and that this is not simply a reflection of cellular immaturity.