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. 1985 Feb;19(1):53–56. doi: 10.1007/BF00199312

In vitro selective effect of melphalan on human T-cell populations

Shlomo Ben-Efraim 1,✉, Luise Komlos 2, Jaffa Notmann 2, Jacob Hart 3, Isaac Halbrecht 2
PMCID: PMC11039287  PMID: 3156668

Abstract

In vitro treatment with 2 μg/2×106 cells melphalan (l-PAM: l-phenylalanine mustard) significantly decreased the total number of T lymphocytes from peripheral blood (PBL) of healthy human donors and of the OKT4 population (precursor suppressor/helper/inducer) T cells as defined by monoclonal antibodies OKT3 and OKT4, respectively. No changes in the OKT+8lymphocyte population (cytotoxic/mature suppressor cells) were observed following the same treatment. Preincubation of PBL with l-PAM at concentrations that do not affect the rate of DNA synthesis in PHA-stimulated lymphocytes inhibited the generation of T suppressor lymphocytes by ConA, as shown by their effect on PHA stimulation. Treatment of allogeneic PBL with l-PAM had no effect on mature suppressor T cells already induced by Con A, as shown by incubation of PBL with l-PAM after incubation with ConA.

Keywords: Monoclonal Antibody, Melphalan, Suppressor Cell, Selective Effect, Lymphocyte Population

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