THE EFFECT OF LYMPHOCYTE SUPERNATANTS FROM PATIENTS WITH B-CHRONIC LYMPHOCYTIC-LEUKEMIA ON NORMAL GRANULOCYTE-MACROPHAGE PROGENITORS IN-VITRO

The effect of PB lymphocyte supernatantas from 33 patients with B-CLL on normal BM CFU-GM colony formation was studied. Lectin-stimulated su pernatants from B-CLL patients were less suppressive for CFU-GM in com parison with supernatants from normal subjects and this was more evide nt when PWM was used as stimulant (x+/-SEM:88.5+/-11.7 vs 46.0+/-8.8% of control CFU-GM, p<0.05). Non-lecitin stimulated supernatants were s uppressive in only 7/33 patients, and this was mainly due to a factor produced by neoplastic B cells. Addition of anti-IFN gamma reversed th e suppression of CFU-GM in 3/4 of the cases tested. Finally, a negativ e correlation was found between degree of CFU-GM suppression and the n umber of circulating neutrophils in individual patients.