Summary
Previous studies have shown that non‐sensitised lymphocyte preparations can kill antibody‐coated allogeneic lymphoma cells. During these studies on antibody‐induced lymphocyte‐mediated cytotoxicity it was observed that lymphocyte preparations from most normal humans tested were highly cytotoxic even to non‐antibody‐coated lymphoma cells of a particular cell line (EB2) but not to a second lymphoma cell line (CLA4), or to allogeneic normal lymphocytes. In contrast, if the target cells were coated with antibody, normal lymphocyte preparations killed EB2 cells, CLA4 cells and allogeneic lymphocytes, with equal facility.
This non‐antibody‐dependent “spontaneous” cytotoxicity towards EB2 cells occurred even at low lymphocyte:EB2 ratios (< 10:1) and was not mediated by lymphotoxin. “Spontaneous” anti‐EB2 lymphocytotoxicity was increased rather than blocked in the presence of specific anti‐EB2 serum.
The possible relationship between “spontaneous” cytolysis of EB2 cells and sensitization to EB virus is discussed.
Summary: This report describes a patient who presented with an exacerbation of coeliac disease symptoms, following initiation of treatment for an auto‐immune thyroiditis. She also had recently developed symptoms and signs of keratoconjunctivitis sicca and xerostomia. She was found to have a lymphocytotoxic serum factor having some but not all of the characteristics of an auto‐antibody and this factor completely prevented phytohaemagglutinin and allogeneic stimulation of her lymphocytes in vitro. Her serum contained multiple, thyroid‐specific, auto‐antibodies coexisting with a general lowering of the main immunoglobulin classes. Treatment with a gluten‐free diet produced improvement of both her coeliac and Sjogren's syndrome symptoms and signs and the lymphotoxic factor disappeared from her serum. The nature and significance of this factor is discussed, with particular emphasis upon relationship to lymphokines and to tumour incidence in coeliac disease.
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