SUPPRESSOR, HELPER AND IMMUNOREGULATORY T-CELLS IN NORMAL HUMAN-BLOOD AS DEFINED BY THEOPHYLLINE SENSITIVITY

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  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 4  (6) , 323-334
Abstract
Two functionally distinct subpopulations of human T cells, one T suppressor and the other T-helper lymphocytes, were separated from normal donor human peripheral blood and tested for immunoregulatory properties. The separation of these 2 populations was performed by the aid of the theophylline sensitivity as described by Shore et al. To assess the activity of the suppressor and helper T lymphocytes, a local xenogeneic graft vs. host reaction (GVHR) according to the method of Shohat et al. was used. The theophylline-sensitive (TS) T-suppressor cells have a suppressor effect on normal human T cells. They consist of 2 cell subsets, one suppressive and radiosensitive and the other radioresistant and having the ability to induce feedback help, a finding which may explain the inverse relationship found between the quantity of TS cells added and the degree of suppression obtained in the GVHR, and the enhancement of the GVHR obtained after addition of irradiated TS cells to autologous T cells. Theophylline-resistant (TR) T cells had a helper action when added to autologous T cells and were radioresistant. Soluble cell-free factors from both TS and TR cells mimic the function of the cells from which they were extracted.