Growth , Interleukin - 2 Production , and Responsiveness to IL - 2 in T 4 - Positive T Lymphocyte Populations From Malignant Cutaneous T Cell Lymphoma

Functional analysis and surface phenotyping using monoclonal antibodies have revealed that malignant T lymphocyte populations in the peripheral blood of patients with S#{233}zary’s syndrome resemble the T helper cell populations from normal individuals. In this article we have studied the effects of the immunosuppressive drug cyclosporine A (CsA) on growth, interleukin-2 (11-2) production. and the induction of IL-2 responsiveness of peripheral blood monocytes (PBMs) from five patients with S#{233}zary’s syndrome in vitro, using the lectin phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and the phorbol ester phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) as stimuli. The following results were obtained: PHA-induced cell proliferation was signifcantly more sensitive to inhibition by CsA than that induced by PMA or a combination of PMA and PHA (P < .005). S#{233}zary PBMs produced only small amounts of IL-2 in response to PHA. Stimulation with PMA,