Lymphocyte Interleukin 2 Production and Responsiveness Are Altered in Patients With Primary Myelodysplastic Syndrome

Immunoregulatory T and B cell functions in 15 patients with primary myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) were studied by measuring the proliferative and the stimulatory capacity of T and B cells, respectively, in autologous (auto) and allogeneic (allo) mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR). T cell proliferation in the auto MLR was 25% of the control (P < .02), whereas proliferation in the allo MLR was normal. When control T cells were stimulated by MDS B cells, their proliferative response was only 57% of the control (P