ENHANCEMENT OF T-CELL RESPONSE TO PWM BY NEURAMINIDASE-TREATED NON-T CELLS

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  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 39  (2) , 203-207
Abstract
The effect of neuraminidase (from Clostridium perfringens, CPN) on the human lymphocyte response to pokeweed mitogen (PWM) was studied. CPN treatment greatly increased [3H]-thymidine incorporation by human lymphocytes at lower concentrations of PWM. This enzyme acted specifically on T [thymus-derived] cell proliferation and had no direct effect on non-T cell proliferation. When CPN-treated non-T cells were added to autologous T cells, [3H]-thymidine incorporation was markedly enhanced at lower concentrations of PWM. Addition of T cells pre-treated with mitomycin C (MMC) to CPN-treated non-T cells failed to increase [3H]-thymidine incorporation in contrast to the controls. MMC-blocked, CPN-treated non-T cells significantly enhanced T cell proliferation, whereas the effect of MMC-blocked, CPN-treated adherent cells was equal to that of the controls. Cell surface properties of non-T cells other than monocytes apparently affect T-cell proliferation in some situations.