Non-HLA lymphocyte cytotoxins in various diseases.

Cold non-HLA lymphocyte cytotoxins were found to be principally reactive against B lymphocytes. These antibodies were studied in 1335 patients with a wide range of diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), scleroderma, Hashimoto's disease, asthma, diabetes, lymphoma, psoriasis, leukemia, multiple sclerosis, and also in healthy donors. Antibodies reactive to B lymphocytes in the cold or warm test conditions were not directed against HLA specificities. Since B lymphocytes differ from T lymphocytes principally in that they have surface immunoglobulin, it is postulated that at least one target antigen of cold lymphocyte cytotoxins is not a virus, infectious agent, or a genetically determined structural antigen, but, rather, simply immunoglobulin.