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PubMed2006

Combined small cell carcinoma with pulmonary blastoma and adenocarcinoma: case report and clonality analysis.

We describe a rare tumor occurring in the left pulmonary lobe of a 71-year-old Japanese man. The tumor, which was resected by left lower lobectomy, measured 65 x 50 x 50 mm. Histologic examination revealed papillary adenocarcinoma in small cell carcinoma, and chondrosarcoma. Also, the blastemal cells were located between the small cell carcinoma and the chondrosarcoma, and intermingled with both components. In blastemal cells, some glands resembled a well-differentiated fetal adenocarcinoma. The tumor was diagnosed as combined small cell carcinoma with pulmonary blastoma and papillary adenocarcinoma according to the 2004 WHO classification. Immunohistochemically, the small cell carcinoma expressed TTF-1, pancytokeratin, CD56, synaptophysin, and S100 protein, while blastemal cells expressed vimentin, desmin, smooth muscle actin, CD56, and S100 protein. To investigate whether the tumor was clonal or not, p53 gene mutation of each tumor component was analyzed by laser-captured microdissection, polymerase chain reaction-single-strand conformation polymorphism and direct sequencing. Despite the histologic complexity, all components showed the same mutation at exon5 of the p53 gene. These results indicate that the tumor was clonal and arose from a relatively primitive cell, and that p53 mutation occurred before histologic metamorphosis or differentiation.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Clonality analysis of cell lineages in acute myeloid leukemia with inversion 16.

Bone marrow from 5 patients with acute myeloid leukemia with inversion 16, inv(16), was studied by a combination of fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to establish the extent of cell-lineage involvement of inv(16). In all cases, interphase FISH demonstrated the inv(16) in 80-92% of blasts, monocytes, granulocytes, and a proportion of B-cells (21-41%). In contrast, inv(16) was not detectable above threshold levels in mature T-cells. The current study provides a direct evidence for the clonal involvement of myeloid lineage cells and B-lymphocytes and suggests that T-cells are not part of the malignant clone in this disease.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1983

Clonal analysis of insulin and somatostatin secretion and L-dopa decarboxylase expression by a rat islet cell tumor.

A cell line, RIN-m, established from a transplantable rat islet cell tumor secretes insulin (IRI) and somatostatin (SRIF) and expresses high levels of the key amine precursor uptake and decarboxylation (APUD) cell enzyme L-dopa-decarboxylase (DDC). Conditioned medium from a rat pituitary tumor line GH3, secreting GH and PRL, improved the cloning efficiency of RIN-m cells 24-fold and enabled the isolation and establishment of a large number of primary and secondary clones. These clones were used to study clonal relationships between peptide hormone secretion and APUD features of an endocrine cell. All the primary and secondary clonal derivatives, irrespective of whether they secreted peptide hormones, maintained high levels of DDC activity. In contrast, IRI and SRIF secretion patterns of the primary clones were highly variable. Selective recloning of primary clones resulted in the isolation of subclones which produced either no hormones or high levels of either IRI or SRIF, but no clone that continuously secreted high levels of both IRI and SRIF. We conclude that: 1) the rat pituitary tumor line GH3 produces a factor(s), possibly GH and/or PRL, which dramatically affects the growth and cloning efficiency of rat islet tumor cells; 2) in contrast to the variability in hormone secretion patterns, DDC activity was consistently expressed in all clones and subclones; and 3) although wide fluctuation in hormone secretion levels occurred among the primary clones, subclones were obtained which revealed that IRI and SRIF can be expressed independently. The subclones of RIN-m developed should be useful for the analyses of factors influencing the synthesis, storage, and secretion of IRI and SRIF. The persistence of high DDC activity in the primary and secondary clones suggests that the APUD property of this endocrine cell may be a primitive differentiation feature closely related to the stem cell; in contrast, peptide hormone production may be associated with more terminal differentiation events.

Adenoma, Islet Cell↗
PubMed1979

Clonal analysis of the action of GM-CSF on the proliferation and differentiation of myelomonocytic leukemic cells.

With 214 subclones of the BALB/c myelomonocytic leukemia WEHI-3B, the granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in impure or purified form, consistently increased the proportion of colonies exhibiting partial or complete differentiation in agar cultures. GM-CSF also increased colony size and content of daughter colony-forming cells. Serial recloning of WEHI-3B colonies in the presence of GM-CSF showed that when colonies differentiated completely, self-replication of the colony-forming cell was suppressed (clonal extinction). However, WEHI-3B cells exhibited clonal instability and even in the continuous presence of GM-CSF many colony-forming cells still generated cells able to form undifferentiated colonies. It appears unlikely that GM-CSF can completely suppress the progressive proliferation of a myeloid leukemic population of the WEHI-3B type.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Clonal analysis of graft-infiltrating lymphocytes from renal and cardiac biopsies. Dominant rearrangements of TcR beta genes and persistence of dominant rearrangements in serial biopsies.

Graft-infiltrating lymphocytes from both human renal and cardiac allografts were propagated in interleukin 2 in order to evaluate rearrangements in the T-cell receptor (TcR) beta-chain genes. Individual biopsies from renal allografts during episodes of cellular rejection were examined as well as multiple biopsies of heart transplant patients from whom endomyocardial samples were taken prior to, during, and after episodes of rejection. TcR beta-chain rearrangements were evaluated in Southern blots using DNA extracted from interleukin 2-propagated cells and digested with restriction endonucleases permitting assessment of rearrangements to both C beta 1 and C beta 2. Rearrangements shared among greater than 5% of the "bulk" culture appear as nongermline bands when hybridized with a C beta probe. Single-cell progeny were generated from limiting dilution, and the rearrangements among the cloned progeny compared to the "bulk" of the cultured progeny of graft-infiltrating lymphocytes. The results indicate that "dominant" rearrangements are a common feature of renal allograft-infiltrating lymphocytes (14 of 15 cases examined). Since the number of cells which can be recovered from a given cardiac biopsy may be limiting, evaluation of clonal dominance from these cultures is more difficult to evaluate. However, sharing of "dominant" rearrangements among multiple biopsies from the same cardiac allograft patient indicates an in vivo selection for T cells with the same receptor rearrangement. Analysis of individual clones showed 3/33 clones from a renal allograft sharing the "dominant" rearrangement noted in the bulk culture, but none of these "dominant" clones showed antidonor specificity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Biopsy↗
PubMed2002

Clonal analysis of cutaneous fibrous histiocytoma (dermatofibroma).

BACKGROUND: Dermatofibroma (DF) or cutaneous fibrous histiocytoma is a common benign fibrohistiocytic lesion involving the dermis and subcutis. Histologically, it is subclassified into fibroblastic and histiocytoid forms. Its histogenesis is controversial. While often referred to as a neoplastic process, definite evidence of neoplasia in DF has been lacking. Alternatively, some authorities have suggested that DF is a fibrosing inflammatory process. Diagnostically, the most important question faced is the distinction from dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP). Misdiagnosis can occur, as the early phase of DFSP can simulate DF, particularly the deep and cellular forms of DF. METHODS: To address this issue, and to investigate whether DF is in fact a neoplasm, we evaluated 31 examples of DF of various histological types in female patients and assessed clonality by analyzing X-chromosome inactivation as indicated by the methylation status of the androgen receptor gene (HUMARA). Representative cases of DFSP were analyzed for comparison. RESULTS: Among the selected 31 cases of DF, 24 cases provided intact DNA and informative polymorphism at the AR alleles, including one case of recurrent deep fibrous histiocytoma. Among these 24 cases, randomly inactivated AR alleles were observed in 17 cases including a deep, recurrent fibroblastic DF. A non-random inactivation at AR alleles was observed in seven cases, of which six cases showed either typical histiocytoid form of DF (four cases) or mixed cell types with predominant histiocytoid cell type (two cases). One fibroblastic DF also showed a monoclonal pattern. HUMARA analysis of DFSP revealed non-random inactivation of polymorphic AR alleles. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that DF is a heterogeneous process. Monoclonal genotype was found in DFs with histiocytoid or mixed type with predominant histiocytoid features, suggesting that histiocytoid cells probably represent the neoplastic component. The fibroblastic form of DF may represent a reactive fibroblastic proliferation. Alternatively, it may represent a true neoplasm whose neoplastic cell type has been obscured by prominent reactive fibroblastic component.

Chromosomes, Human, X↗
PubMed2006

Clonal analysis of the differentiation potential of human adipose-derived adult stem cells.

Pools of human adipose-derived adult stem (hADAS) cells can exhibit multiple differentiated phenotypes under appropriate in vitro culture conditions. Because adipose tissue is abundant and easily accessible, hADAS cells offer a promising source of cells for tissue engineering and other cell-based therapies. However, it is unclear whether individual hADAS cells can give rise to multiple differentiated phenotypes or whether each phenotype arises from a subset of committed progenitor cells that exists within a heterogeneous population. The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that single hADAS are multipotent at a clonal level. hADAS cells were isolated from liposuction waste, and ring cloning was performed to select cells derived from a single progenitor cell. Forty-five clones were expanded through four passages and then induced for adipogenesis, osteogenesis, chondrogenesis, and neurogenesis using lineage-specific differentiation media. Quantitative differentiation criteria for each lineage were determined using histological and biochemical analyses. Eighty one percent of the hADAS cell clones differentiated into at least one of the lineages. In addition, 52% of the hADAS cell clones differentiated into two or more of the lineages. More clones expressed phenotypes of osteoblasts (48%), chondrocytes (43%), and neuron-like cells (52%) than of adipocytes (12%), possibly due to the loss of adipogenic ability after repeated subcultures. The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that hADAS cells are a type of multipotent adult stem cell and not solely a mixed population of unipotent progenitor cells. However, it is important to exercise caution in interpreting these results until they are validated using functional in vivo assays.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1997

Neuroepithelial stem cells from the embryonic spinal cord: isolation, characterization, and clonal analysis.

Adherent cultures of E10.5 rat neuroepithelial cells (NEP cells) from the caudal neural tube require FGF (fibroblast growth factor) and CEE (chick embryo extract) to proliferate and maintain an undifferentiated phenotype in culture. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) does not support E10.5 NEP cells in adherent culture and NEP cells do not form EGF-dependent neurospheres. NEP cells, however, can be grown as FGF-dependent neurospheres. NEP cells express nestin and lack all lineage-specific markers for neuronal and glial sublineages, retain their pleuripotent character over multiple passages, and can differentiate into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes when plated on laminin in the absence of CEE. In clonal culture, NEP cells undergo self-renewal and generate colonies that vary in size from single cells to several thousand cells. With the exception of a few single-cell clones, all other NEP-derived clones contain more than one identified phenotype, with over 40% of the colonies containing A2B5, beta-111 tubulin, and GFAP-immunoreactive cells. Thus, NEP cells are multipotent and capable of generating multiple neural derivatives. NEP cells also differentiate into motoneurons immunoreactive for choline acetyl transferase (ChAT) and the low-affinity neurotrophin receptor (p75) in both mass and clonal culture. Double labeling of clones for ChAT and glial, neuronal, or oligodendrocytic lineage markers shows that motoneurons always arose in mixed cultures with other differentiated cells. Thus, NEP cells represent a common progenitor for motoneurons and other spinal cord cells. The relationship of NEP cells with other neural stem cells is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Human CD3+4-8-WT31- T lymphocyte populations expressing the putative T cell receptor gamma-gene product. A limiting dilution and clonal analysis.

The small peripheral blood CD3+ T cell population lacking both CD4 and CD8 surface antigens has been analyzed in the present study. Enriched CD3+4-8- populations were obtained by depletion with anti-CD4 or anti-CD8 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) and complement. The resulting populations contained greater than 99% CD2+ cells, whereas CD3+ represented approximately 50%. Virtually all of the cells were CD4-8- and did not react with the WT31 mAb, specific for a framework determinant of the alpha/beta T cell receptor (TCR). In order to analyze the molecular nature of CD3-associated molecules in CD3+WT31- populations, cells were stimulated with 0.5% phytohemagglutinin (PHA) for 24 h and expanded for an additional 7-14 days in interleukin 2 (IL 2). The resulting cells were greater than 95% CD3+ and expressed neither CD4/CD8 nor WT31 antigen. Cell surface iodination followed by cross-linking and immunoprecipitation with anti-CD3 mAb showed that CD3-associated molecules consisted of a major 45-kDa band and a minor band of 43 kDa. Thus, whereas CD3-associated molecules isolated from polyclonal CD3+WT31+ populations (expanded in IL 2 under the same culture conditions) appeared as diffuse bands, CD3-associated molecules isolated from CD3+WT31- populations displayed a homogeneous molecular mass. Northern blot analysis revealed the presence of mRNA for the TCR gamma chain whereas the mRNA for the alpha chain was mostly represented by a truncated (1.2 kb) form. Also small amounts of a nonproductive mRNA for the beta chain were detected. Freshly isolated CD3+WT31--enriched populations proliferated in response to PHA and concanavalin A, moreover, IL 2 was detected in the culture supernatants after cell stimulation. By applying culture conditions which allow virtually all T cells to undergo clonal expansion, approximately 1/3 CD3+WT31- were clonogenic. In addition, the large majority of proliferating microcultures lysed the K562 cell line and about half the natural killer (NK)-resistant fresh melanoma target cells. A large number of clones derived from CD3+WT31- enriched populations by limiting dilution has been further analyzed. More than 95% of the clones were CD3+4-8-WT31-; 12/15 clones analyzed in more detail displayed NK activity and 6/15 lysed melanoma cells; in addition, all lysed P815 target cells in the presence of PHA, thus indicating that all the clonogenic CD3+WT31- cells have a cytolytic potential.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1987

Clonal analysis in vitro of osteogenic differentiation of marrow CFU-F.

Fibroblastic colonies, each of which is derived from a single precursor cell (CFU-F), are formed when suspensions of marrow cells are cultured in vitro. The ability of marrow CFU-F to differentiate in vitro was investigated using the expression of alkaline phosphatase activity as a marker for osteogenic differentiation. In cultures of rabbit marrow cells the colonies formed varied in size, morphology and expression of enzyme activity, indicating that marrow stromal CFU-F are a heterogeneous population. Growth and differentiation of marrow CFU-F can be modified in vitro. Epidermal growth factor increased average colony size and reduced clonal expression of alkaline phosphatase activity to very low levels. Hydrocortisone activated the osteogenic differentiation programme within the cellular progeny of a wide spectrum of CFU-F. The results support the possible development of in vitro clonal methods for the study of differentiation and regulation of the osteogenic and other fibroblastic cell lines of the marrow stromal system.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗
PubMed1983

Clonal analysis of HLA-restricted virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes from cerebrospinal fluid in mumps meningitis.

T lymphocytes were cloned directly from the cerebrospinal fluid of a patient with mumps meningitis by limiting dilution in the presence of irradiated feeder cells and T cell growth factor. Of 84 colonies analyzed, 41 were cytotoxic, as shown by their ability to exert phytohemagglutinin-dependent killing. Of these, 39 showed specificity for the autologous mumps-virus infected target cells. The cytotoxic T cell colonies showed the same pattern of HLA restriction as bulk cultures of CSF lymphocytes. This study shows that it is possible to perform functional assays on inflammatory exudate cells at the clonal level. The data also suggest that recruitment of effector cells from the peripheral compartment into the meningeal spaces in mumps meningitis is highly antigen-specific.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1985

Clonal analysis of B cell growth and differentiation activities induced from T lymphocytes upon triggering of T3-Ti and T11 pathways.

The cellular origin of B cell growth factors (BCGF) and differentiation factors (BCDF) was investigated in the present study. For this purpose, T4+ and T8+ T cell clones were obtained from human peripheral blood, activated via stimulation of either the antigen/MHC receptor (T3-Ti molecular complex) or the antigen-independent alternative pathway (T11 molecule), and subsequently examined for their capacity to induce B cell proliferation and immunoglobulin production. The results showed that 1) BCGF is produced by both T4+ and T8+ T cells at the population level as well as at the clonal level; 2) BCDF activity, in contrast, is largely but not exclusively restricted to the T4+ subset; and 3) both the T3-Ti and T11 pathways activate individual clonal T cell populations to promote B cell growth and differentiation.

Antibody Formation↗
PubMed1992

Clonal analysis of cell fate during gastrulation and early neurulation in the mouse.

The foundation of the germ layers and the extraembryonic mesoderm from the epiblast between 6.5 and 7.5 days post coitum (p.c.) is accompanied by substantial cell proliferation. It is followed during the next 24 hours by the organization of major systems of the embryo such as the central nervous system, somites, heart and vascular system. Injection in situ of a short-term lineage label (horse radish peroxidase) into single epiblast cells at 6.7 days p.c. and analysis of the descendant clones in cultured embryos have been used to trace these processes and led to the following conclusions: (1) There is extensive but not indiscriminate cell mixing at the onset of gastrulation; epiblast cells spread towards the primitive streak and descendants are there progressively incorporated into mesoderm. (2) The fate map of the mouse epiblast at the early primitive streak stage is topologically similar to those of other vertebrates. (3) Germ layers and the extraembryonic mesoderm are not clonally distinct before gastrulation, the region of overlapping boundaries in the fate map being occupied by cells that will have descendants in more than one layer. (4) Cranial neurectoderm is mainly derived from axial epiblast immediately anterior to the primitive streak of the early streak stage embryo, clonal descendants being spread rostrocaudally in the developing neural tube. Contribution to the putative floor plate is made by progenitors some of which also contribute to notochord and mesoderm.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

TCR expression and clonality analysis in pulmonary sarcoidosis.

Pulmonary sarcoidosis is a granulomatous disease characterized by the accumulation of activated T cells in the lower respiratory tract. To evaluate the hypothesis that sarcoidosis is characterized by a selective activation and expansion of a limited repertoire of T cell receptor (TCR)-specific T cells, we analyzed TCRAV and TCRBV gene expression in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) T cells from sarcoidosis patients and, for comparison, from patients with other pulmonary diseases where lymphocyte accumulation is not observed. Increased expression of TCRAV9 and TCRAV14 in BAL T cells was observed in sarcoidosis patients compared to these controls. To ascertain whether the accumulation of AV9 and AV14 expressing BAL T cells in sarcoidosis was the result of clonal expansion, the lengths of the CDR3 regions in AV9 and AV14 transcripts were determined. Some individual patient samples showed evidence of oligoclonality. However, in most cases, the data were consistent with the presence of many different clones. These data suggest that the bulk of BAL T cells in sarcoid patients are either nonspecifically recruited or are responding to a complex mixture of antigens.

Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid↗
PubMed1982

Clonal analysis of the stepwise appearance of anchorage independence and tumorigenicity in CAK, a permanent line of mouse cells.

To provide information on the number of steps involved in preneoplastic progression in vitro, the induced and spontaneous appearances of anchorage-independent and tumorigenic variants were studied with clones of a permanent cell line of morphologically transformed, anchorage-dependent, non-tumorigenic pseudodiploid mouse cells (CAK). Tumorigenicity was assayed in the nude mouse by s.c. coinoculation of CAK cell derivatives with 2 x 10(6) human fibroblasts. Under the assay conditions, as few as 10 tumorigenic cells formed tumors. The assay permitted detection of tumorigenic variants soon after their origin and reduced the spontaneous development of new variants that result from extensive proliferation of clonal cell populations prior to testing for tumorigenicity. Anchorage-independent, nontumorigenic variants of CAK cells originated spontaneously at an estimated rate of about 10(-4)/cell/generation. Tumorigenic variants appeared spontaneously during proliferation of an anchorage-independent cell clone at an estimated rate of about 10(-7)/cell/generation but were undetectable among anchorage-dependent CAK cells. In contrast, N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine treatment induced the appearance of tumorigenic variants in both anchorage-dependent and -independent clones with an estimated frequency of about 10(-4)/surviving clone former, which was similar to the induced frequency of ouabain-resistant variants in the same cells. Anchorage independence was expressed without tumorigenicity in new anchorage-independent variants but tumorigenic cells were always anchorage independent. We propose that CAK cells can become tumorigenic by a three-step pathway that includes changes causing morphological transformation, anchorage independence, and tumorigenicity. Our evidence is also consistent with an alternative two-step pathway where anchorage independence and tumorigenicity are acquired in a single step, since anchorage-independent, tumorigenic clones were derived from anchorage-dependent cells soon after a single mutagenic treatment.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Clonal analysis of stable chromosome rearrangements in Bloom's syndrome fibroblasts.

In situ cytogenetic analysis was performed on colonies derived from single cells of cultured skin fibroblast-like strains from two patients with Bloom's syndrome (GM 1492 and GM 2520). Metaphases in all of the colonies displayed structural chromosome rearrangements. Among 212 metaphases from 24 colonies of GM 1492, only 16% were pseudodiploid, and there was a high incidence of de novo rearrangements within individual colonies. There were two "families" of 16 and five colonies, respectively, each containing identical or related aneusomies, and these could be arranged into pedigrees showing clonal evolution. The heterochromatic region of chromosome #1 and the telomeric regions of chromosome arms 2q, 3q, 4p, and 11q were most frequently involved in the rearrangements. In contrast, strain GM 2520 showed less intraclonal variation, was primarily pseudodiploid, and displayed only three clonal types, one of which had extensive subclonal variation (19 of 24 clones). A remarkable finding in GM 2520 was that, in some clones, extra copies of specific chromosome segments were present as translocations. These results caution against the use of strain GM 1492 as a prototype Bloom's syndrome strain for cell biological studies.

Bloom Syndrome↗
PubMed1999

RAS mutations and clonality analysis in children with juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML).

Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) is a malignant hematopoietic disorder of early childhood with excessive proliferation of the myeloid and monocytic lineage. Deregulation of the RAS signal transduction pathway is thought to play a key role in its pathogenesis. We examined peripheral blood or bone marrow cells of 36 children with JMML for activating point mutations in codons 12, 13 and 61 of the NRAS and KRAS proto-oncogenes by allele-specific restriction assay, single-strand conformation polymorphism and/or direct sequencing. Codons 12, 13 and 61 of HRAS were examined in 26 of these patients. We detected RAS mutations in six cases (17%) located at N12 (n = 2), N13 (n = 3) and K13 (n = 1). In addition, we performed clonality studies on different cell lineages in four of these patients applying the RAS mutation, the karyotype and X-chromosome inactivation patterns as clonal markers. Erythroid cells carried mutant RAS, indicating clonal origin. In EBV B cell lines, one of three patients studied harbored a RAS mutation, while the other two patients had polyclonal B cells with wild-type RAS. T lymphocytes were examined in one patient; they were polyclonal and had wild-type RAS. It is likely that JMML is a heterogeneous disease with respect to clonal involvement of different lineages.

Amino Acid Substitution↗
PubMed1994

Clonal analysis of lung and blood T cells in patients with sarcoidosis.

BACKGROUND: Sarcoidosis is a disease characterised by clinical "anergy" to delayed type hypersensitivity antigens and the formation of non-caseating granulomas, which frequently manifests in the lungs as a T lymphocyte/mononuclear cell alveolitis. Although there is an increased proportion of T cells in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples from these patients, and these T cells often show evidence of activation and spontaneous secretion of cytokines such as interleukin 2 (IL-2) and interferon gamma (IFN gamma)--a pattern similar to delayed type hypersensitivity reactions--it is unclear whether both cytokines are produced by the majority of T cells derived from the lungs of patients with sarcoidosis or whether unique subpopulations of T cells produce each cytokine. In this study the properties of T cells cloned from BAL fluid samples of patients with sarcoidosis have been analysed. METHODS: T cells were cloned by limiting dilution using IL-2, phytohaemagglutinin, and irradiated feeder cells. Cloning efficiencies were compared and phytohaemagglutinin induced clonal production of IL-2, IFN gamma, and IL-4 was determined by bioassay (IL-2 and IFN gamma) or ELISA (IL-4). RESULTS: T cells derived from the BAL fluid of patients with sarcoidosis cloned less efficiently than those from blood of the same individuals. Lung derived clones (CD4+ or CD8+) produced IFN gamma more frequently and to a higher titre than blood derived clones, whereas IL-2 production by CD4+ clones derived from BAL fluid was less than that from blood derived clones. Interestingly, IL-4 production by clones from both sites was similar. Analysis of the co-production of IL-2, IFN gamma, and IL-4 by these BAL fluid clones did not demonstrate a predominant "Th1"-like population which has been suggested to underlie delayed type hypersensitivity reactions. CONCLUSIONS: The reduced cloning efficiency of T cells from the lung compared with the blood in sarcoidosis is consistent with, although probably more pronounced than, previous observations in normal lungs and shows that T cell hyporesponsiveness is not overcome in the lungs of patients with sarcoidosis. Furthermore, major differences exist between the cytokine producing potential of T cells derived from the lung and the blood in sarcoidosis, and these parallel the differences in the properties of blood and lung T cells seen in healthy individuals.

Adult↗