Reaction of lymphocytes to phytohemagglutinin in vitro in hereditary microspherocytosis.

The authors report results of investigations on PHA-stimulated blastic transformation of lymphocytes in hereditary microspherocytosis. In 25 patients with this disease including 12 splenectomized cases and 13 non-splenectomized ones a significant decrease of the blastic and mitotic indexes was observed in relation to a control group of 20 subjects. No statistically significant differences were noted, however, between the cases before and after splenectomy. The results indicate that splenectomy is not the only factor impairing blastic transformation in these patients. The authors suggest that in microspherocytosis changes exist not only in the erythrocyte membrane, but that similar changes in the lymphocyte cell membrane may impair the response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA).