Development of immunocytes and immunoglobulin production in long‐term cultures from normal and malignant human lymph nodes

Abstract

Fifteen human lymph nodes have been grown in vitro. Cells from seven of the nodes eventually developed into apparently permanent lines dominated by cells resembling lymphoblasts. When the results are combined with a previously published series (Pontén, 1967) no difference is found between the frequency at which the phenomenon occurs in lymph nodes obtained from patients without known malignancy (group L), from nodes draining carcinomas (group C), or from malignant lymphomas (group M). It is concluded that the spontaneous establishment of permanent lymphoid cell lines is a characteristic of human lymphoid tissue in general and that no relationship to malignant lymphoma has been proved. A random fibroblastoid growth, apparently unrelated to the appearance of a secondary lymphoid cell production phase, was observed in eight cases, seven of which belonged to group M or C. Five of seven lines were tested repeatedly for globulin production by immunoelectrophoresis and immunoprecipitation combined with autoradiography. Four lines produced immunoglobulins of the IgG type; the fifth, obtained from a tuberculous node, synthesized IgA. Each cell line produced only one detectable molecular species, suggesting a monoclonal origin of the immunoglobulins. The light chains were exclusively of the kappa type, whereas the heavy chains differed with respect to their subgroup specificity.

High‐frequency establishment of human immunoglobulin‐producing lymphoblastoid lines from normal and malignant lymphoid tissue and peripheral blood

“…Biopsies from unselected patients were transported to the laboratory in sterile tissue-culture medium. Two types of grid organ cultures were employed: 1) the lens-paper grid culture (Ponten, 1967;Nilsson et al, 1968); 2) (Ser. no.…”

“…Solid lymphoid tissue (Table I). The series of events typical for lymph nodes grown with the lens paper grid culture, a primary lymphocyte production phase, followed by a fibroblast production phase, which is often pursued by a production of LL (i. e. the spontaneous lymphoblastoid transformation) (Nilsson et al, 1968) could be recognized in cultures 183-219. The delay until spontaneous Iymphoblastoid transformation was in the same range (65-120 days) as described previously.…”

“…The synthesis of only one species of immunoglobulin in lymph-node derived lines (Philipson and Ponten, 1967;Nilsson et al, 1968) indicated a monoclonal origin. To confirm or disprove this finding the immunoglobulin production in the present lines has been studied qualitatively.…”

“…In a previous study (Nilsson et al, 1968) lines were established from 50 % of normal and malignant lymph nodes. This indicated that solid lymphoid tissue might be a better source of LL than peripheral blood.…”

The <i>in vitro </i>Specificity of Antilymphocyte Sera Produced by Either Cultured or Noncultured Lymphocytes

“…Arc No. 2 moves in the y globulin region; and, as both sera show single arcs by double diffusion analysis against human y globulin, it is concluded that these arcs are reacting against the known y globulin content of both cell types [18,20,26]. Because neither antiserum reacts with other human serum components, it must be assumed that the other are delineating cellular antigens.…”