title: Con A-inducible suppression of MLC: evidence for mediation by the TH2 + T cell subset in man.
abstract: Human peripheral lymphoid cells pretreated with Concanavalin A for 48 hr can markedly suppress the proliferative response of untreated autologous lymphoid cells in MLC. Isolation studies with Sephadex G-200 anti-F(ab')2 affinity chromatography, nylon adherence, and E rosetting indicate that the Con A-induced suppressor cell is a T cell. Further fractionation into TH2+ and TH2- cell subsets with an equine-anti TH2 serum show that both subsets can be activated by Con A to an equivalent degree. After activation only the TH2+ subset can suppress autologous responder cells in MLC. The TH2- subset, which comprises 80% of peripheral human T cells, although induced by Con A to proliferate, cannot itself suppress the MLC response. Nevertheless, the TH2- subset can be shown to modulate the generation of suppressor TH2+ cells at 24 hr but not at 48 hr. These studies support the notion that the Con A-induced suppressor cell is confined to a distinct T cell subset in man and that T-T interactions are important in the overall expression of the immune response.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002469:Cell Separation; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D003208:Concanavalin A