Defective calcium response in B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells. Alteration of early protein tyrosine phosphorylation and of the mechanism responsible for cell calcium influx.

To study defective signal transduction via the Ag receptor of B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells (B-CLL), we examine in this report the Ca2+ response triggered by anti-mu antibody in 23 patients previously classified in three phenotypic groups. Altered Ca2+ changes are essentially found in CLL group II whose leukemic cells are characterized by a marked expression of the CD11b Ag. B-CLL cells from patients with a defective Ca2+ response present an altered pattern of protein tyrosine phosphorylation after anti-mu stimulation in comparison with normal human B cells and B-CLL cells from patients having a normal Ca2+ response. Most of the proteins usually tyrosine phosphorylated after the triggering of cell-surface IgM are concerned. This includes the gamma 1 isoform of phospholipase C, although the protein is normally present in B-CLL cells. These findings suggest that the interruption of the phosphoinositide pathway in B-CLL cells is very proximal, at the level in the signaling cascade between activated surface Ig receptors and protein tyrosine kinases. Simultaneously, we demonstrate that some low responding patients exhibit a decreased Ca2+ response to thapsigargin, an agent known to release intracellular Ca2+ without inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate production. This suggests that an altered functioning of the mechanism leading to the cell Ca2+ influx in B cells can be also involved in the decreased Ca2+ response observed in B-CLL cells.