Responses of Alloantigen-Primed Lymphocytes in Vitro The Specificity of Secondary Responses Assayed by Titration of Primed Lymphocyte Populations

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Abstract
Maximal proliferative responses were observed ac lower responder cell densities in alloantigen‐primed lymphocyte populations when restimulated with the specific priming cell than when restimulated with other allogeneic cells. This relationship was due to the larger number of lymphocytes within the primed population which responded to the specific sensitizing cell than to unrelated stimulator cells. As a result, at high response cell densities, stimulator cells unrelated to the specific sensitizing cells elicited a disproportionately high response relative to the rwpoiwe stimulated by the specific cells. Restimulation of decreasing number of primed lymphocytes gave a more accurate representation of the stimulatory capacity of different cells. Because primed populations contain a larger number of lymphocytes that respond to the specific stimulator than to other Stimulators, responses of primed lymphocytes could be made operationally monospecific. Limiting dilution analysis demonstrated that low numbers of primed cells were stimulated by the specific sensitizing cells but not by unrelated stimulator cells.