IGE FC RECEPTOR POSITIVE LYMPHOCYTE-T AND LYMPHOCYTE-B IN PATIENTS WITH THE HYPER IGE SYNDROME

Abstract

The percentages of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) bearing Fc receptors for IgE (Fc.epsilon.R) and IgG (Fc.gamma.R) were determined in 4 patients with the hyper IgE syndrome by a rosette assay employing IgE and IgG coated fixed ox erythrocytes. The patients had 8 .+-. 3% Fc.epsilon.R+ and 13 .+-. 8% Fc.gamma.R+ PBL, compared to 1.2 .+-. 1% Fc.epsilon.R+ and 17 .+-. 4% Fc.gamma.R+ PBL for control donors. T cells were isolated by rosetting with neuraminidase treated sheep erythrocytes (EN). Indirect immunofluorescence with Lyt-3 monoclonal antibody (MoAb) to the sheep erythrocyte receptor, followed by rosetting for Fc.epsilon.R and Fc.gamma.R; showed that the patients'' T cells contained < 0.1% Fc.epsilon.R+ and 1.4 .+-. 0.2% Fc.gamma.R+ cells; T cells from the control subjects contained < 0.1% Fc.epsilon.R+ and 11 .+-. 4% Fc.gamma.R+ cells. The non-T (EN rosette depleted) cells of the patients included 56 .+-. 18% s[cell surface]IgM+/sIgD+; 45 .+-. 9% Fc.epsilon.R+ and 35 .+-. 27% Fc.gamma.R+ cells. Indirect immunofluorescence with MoAb to IgM, IgD, and NK [natural killer] cells (antibody B73.1) followed by rosetting for Fc.epsilon.R and Fc.gamma.R, indicated that 92 .+-. 2% of the Fc.epsilon.R+ cells and 9 .+-. 7% of the Fc.gamma.R+ cells were B cells (.mu.+/.delta.+); 3 .+-. 4% of the Fc.epsilon.R+ and 30 .+-. 23% of the Fc.gamma.R+ cells were NK cells (B73.cntdot.1+). Thus, most of the Fc.epsilon.R+ non-T cells were B cells; only a small fraction appeared to be NK cells. On the other hand, Fc.gamma.R+ B cells were outnumbered by Fc.gamma.R+ NK cells (B73.cntdot.1+) by 3:1. Patients with the hyper IgE syndrome apparently have increased numbers of Fc.gamma.R+ PBL, most of them B cells; their T cells apparently contain < 0.1% Fc.epsilon.R+ cells.