A subset of OKT4+ peripheral T cells can generate colonies containing mixed progeny with OKT4+ helper and OKT8+ suppressor cells

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Abstract
The membrane phenotype of human T cell colony progenitors and that of their clonal progeny was studied for expression of the T4 and T8 determinants. Using clonal culture conditions, the colonies were grown in semi‐solid agar medium from peripheral blood cells. Clonality was assessed using the glucose‐6‐phosphate‐dehydrogenase isoenzyme marker. Combination of this marker with the culture of sorted cell fractions allowed us to ascribe the colony progenitors to a subset of OKT4+lymphocytes. The progeny consisted of the mixture of single OKT4+, single OKT8+and double OKT4+8+ cells, as determined by double staining. Double staining was performed on mass‐harvested colony cells and on individual colonies expanded in liquid culture with fresh interleukin 2. Expression of the OKT8 positivity on colony cells deriving from OKT4+ progenitors required an interaction with radioresistant OKT8+ cells that were co‐cultured with these progenitors. Furthermore, the functional capacities of the cell progeny were assayed on the pokeweed mitogen‐driven immunoglobulin production by B cells. It was found that OKT4T colony cells were helper whereas OKT8+ colony cells were suppressor cells. It is concluded that a subset of OKT4+ peripheral blood T lymphocytes can generate colonies containing both helper OKT4+ cells and suppressor OKT8+ cells.