Separation of functional subsets of human T cells by a monoclonal antibody.
A monoclonal antibody was produced to human peripheral blood T cells. This hybridoma antibody, termed OKT4, was reactive by indirect immunofluorescence with only 55-60% of the peripheral blood T cell population (OKT4+) and unreactive with normal B cells, null cells, and macrophages. The OKT4- T cell population contained the previously described TH2+ subset that has been shown to contain cytotoxic/suppressor cells. With cell-sorter separation of OKT4+ and OKT4- cells, it was shown that these T cell subsets were functionally discrete. Both gave proliferative responses with concanavalin A, alloantigens, and phytohemagglutinin although OKT4+ cells were much more responsive to the latter. OKT4+ cells alone responded to soluble antigens whereas OKT4- cells alone were cytotoxic after alloantigenic sensitization of unfractionated T cells. However, both OKT4+ and OKT4- cells were required during sensitization for optimal development of cytotoxicity. These data suggest that the OKT4+ subset represents a helper population and that the OKT4- subset contains the cytotoxic effector population. OKT4 could be a valuable reagent for determining alterations of these functional subsets in human diseases.
D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis*; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000276:immunology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007519:Isoantigens / Q000032:analysis; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008211:Lymphocyte Cooperation; D008934:Mitogens; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D000954:Antigens, Surface; D007519:Isoantigens; D008934:Mitogens