Characterization of human T suppressor‐inducer, ‐precursor and ‐effector lymphocytes in the antigen‐specific plaque‐forming cell response

摘要

AbstractSuppression of an antigen‐specific plaque‐forming cell response of human blood lymphocytes can be effected by Tμ+cells that have been primed previously by antigenin vitrofor 6 days. While lacking the capacity to suppress the plaque‐forming response directly, these primed Tμ+suppressor‐inducer cells stimulate a subpopulation of unprimed Toy−cells to differentiate to Tγ+suppressor‐effector cells.The Tμ+, Tγ+and Tμγ−subsets have been shown to be heterogeneous populations of cells. Therefore, the functionally defined T suppressor‐inducer, ‐precursor and ‐effector cells were characterized by OKT monoclonal antibodies and by the capacity to form rosettes with autologous erythrocytes (ar+). Evidence will be presented thatin vitroa T4+μ+ar−cell induces a T8+μγ−ar+precursor cell to differentiate to a T8+γ+ar−suppressor‐effector cell. A similar T suppressor‐effector cell can also be isolated directl