Blast transformation of lymphocytes in amebiasis

Abstract

Peripheral blood lymphocytes from 21 out of 23 patients with amebic liver abscesses and 1 patient with amebic cervicitis were stimulated in vitro by an aqueous extract of E. histolytica to undergo blast transformation as measured by their ability to incorporate tritiated thymidine. The response was specific, since lymphocytes from all of 15 healthy individuals and 9 out of 10 patients without amebiasis did not show blastogenic response. The degree of blast transformation varied from one patient to the other, the magnitude of response being high in 7, medium in 9, and low in 6. The ability of lymphocytes to transform in the presence of the antigen did not appear to be related to the number of precipitating bands as measured by the immunoelectrophoresis test, indicating that blast transformation was not directly correlated with the humoral immune response.