Defective monocyte chemotaxis in mycosis fungoides: lack of essential helper lymphocytes.

The effect of lymphocytes on monocytes chemotaxis in vitro was studied using lymphocyte fractions prepared by glass bead column separation and mononuclear cell fractions prepared by Ficoll-Hypaque separation. The diminished monocyte chemotaxis in ten patients with mycosis fungoides was corrected in vitro by the addition of normal lymphocytes. This helper effect was not mediated by soluble factors. Lymphocytes from mycosis fungoides patients did not inhibit chemotaxis by monocytes from mycosis fungoides patients did not inhibit chemotaxis by monocytes from normal donors. No cell directed chemotactic inhibitor, differences in LDCF production in vitro or differences in circulating chemattractants were found. These data support the conclusion that the abnormal monocyte chemotaxis seen in mycosis fungoides is due to lack of essential helper lymphocyte function and represents an abnormal mononuclear cell interaction which may be important in the establishment of the mononuclear cell infiltrate in mycosis fungoides.