HUMAN T-CELL HYBRIDS WITH HLA-RESTRICTED PROLIFERATIVE RESPONSE TO EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUS-INFECTED B-CELLS

  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 53  (4) , 611-621
Abstract
Human T-cell hybrids were constructed from a hypoxanthine:guanine phosphoribosyl transferase-negative mutant of the acute lymphoblastoid leukemia cell-line CEM and an uncloned population of T cells from donor SW (SW-T; partner cell) known to have a strong specificity for the autologous Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-transformed B cell, SWEBV. The resulting hybrids, 1A9, 1D12 and 2C8, were not cytotoxic to SWEBV, nor did they have natural killer-like (NK) activity. When presented with the target SWEBV in a mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR), all of the hybrids rapidly increased their rate of proliferation by up to a factor of 7. Hybrid 1D12 also produced interleukin-2-like material (IL2) under these conditions. The hybrids did not react with the autologous phytohemagglutinin-blasts (SWPHA), nor with various unrelated targets. When tested against a bank of EBV-transformed B-cell targets, the human T-cell hybrids 1A9 and 2C8 responded only to those targets bearing the antigen HLA Bw35. This response could be blocked by treating the target with the monoclonal antibody W6/32, specific for a shared determinant of the HLA-A, -B and -C antigens. The human T-cell hybrid 1D12 reacted only against those targets bearing the antigen HLA DrW2, and this activity could be blocked by the monoclonal antibody DA6.231, specific for a common region of the HLA-DR and SB antigens. Thus, human T-cell hybrids can be produced which exhibit HLA-restricted responses to antigenic stimulation.