PWM-induced generation of immunoglobulin-secreting cells in patients with multiple myeloma.

The pokeweed-mitogen-induced transformation of B-lymphocytes into immunoglobulin-secreting cells was studied in vitro in 25 patients with multiple myeloma using a reverse hemolytic plaque assay. Fifteen patients showed a good response in generating immunoglobulin-secreting cells, whereas 10 patients showed a decreased B cell reactivity which was not due to intermittent melphalan/steroid therapy administered to 15 patients. Experiments with lymphocyte subpopulations demonstrated that the inability of some multiple-myeloma patients to generate immunoglobulin-secreting cells was always based on a defect in the B-cell subset. Co-culture experiments with lymphocytes from normal individuals and patients revealed a cell-mediated suppression in one case, whereas humoral suppressive factors in the patients' serum could not be observed using the reverse hemolytic plaque assay. Patients were classified into three groups: (a) patients with a normal B-cell function, (b) patients with a reversible, tumor-dependent suppression of B-cell reactivity and (c) patients in whom the normal B-cell population was replaced by non-reactive cells.