INTERACTIONS OF HUMAN T-CELL SUBSETS DURING THE INDUCTION OF CYTO-TOXIC LYMPHOCYTES-T - THE ROLE OF INTERLEUKINS

  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 49  (1) , 167-175
Abstract
The role of subsets of human T cells, detectable by the OKT series of the monoclonal antibodies, in the production of and the response to the lymphokine interluekin-2 (Il-2) were studied during the course of an allogeneic cytotoxic T lymphocyte response in vitro. The Il-2 producer cells reside within the OKT4 positive T cell subset. Once produced, Il-2 mediates the clonal expansion of alloantigen-activated cytotoxic T killer cells which reside in the OKT8 positive T cell subset. Il-2 appears to have no mitogenic actiivty on the activated OKT4 positive T cells which produce the lymphokine. To release Il-2, the OKT4 positive T cell requires a stimulus, such as allogeneic cells or the lectin phytohemagglutinin A (PHA). Macrophages are also required for Il-2 production, but the macrophage requirement can be bypassed by a soluble macrophage product as found in supernatants of lymphocyte cultures stimulated with lipopolysaccharide, the biological activity presumably representing Interleukin-1.