EXPRESSION OF IA ANTIGENS ON IMMUNOCOMPETENT CELLS IN GUINEA-PIG .3. FUNCTIONAL SELECTION OF IA-NEGATIVE T-CELLS BY INVITRO CULTURE

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 121  (1) , 390-396
Abstract
The expression of I-region-associated (Ia [immune response associated]) antigens by guinea pig T [thymus derived] lymphocytes stimulated in vitro with antigen-pulsed macrophages was examined. Treatment of lymph node (LNL) or peritoneal exudate (PEL) T cells taken directly from immune animals with anti-Ia serum and complement (C) dramatically reduced their proliferative response to antigen-pulsed macrophages when determined on the 4th day of culture. The response of immune T cells selected by culture for 1 wk with antigen-pulsed macrophages and restimulated in a 2nd culture was not affected by anti-Ia and C treatment. This same result occurred with selected LNL or PEL that were initially treated before the selection culture with normal serum or anti-Ia serum and C. LNL became resistant to anti-Ia serum and C treatment by 3 days of culture whereas antigen-specific PEL were still sensitive at that time. Apparently in an immune animal 2 antigen-specific T cell subpopulations are generated based on their sensitivity to anti-Ia serum and C treatment, but only the resistant population is selected by in vitro culture. The Ia-negative T cell population can only be activated by histocompatible antigen-pulsed macrophages.