Monoclonal antibodies to CD6 preferentially stimulate T-cell clones with gamma/delta rather than alpha/beta antigen receptors.
CD6 is a pan-T-cell structure about which very little is known, although certain CD6 monoclonal antibodies have been reported to be mitogenic for T cells. Using a heterogeneous collection of human T-cell clones, we now show that CD6-responders were contained exclusively within the gamma/delta-receptor+ group. Three of seven CD6 antibodies tested stimulated autocrine proliferation of 5 of 7 gamma/delta but 0 of 13 alpha/beta T-cell clones. Stimulation was dependent on the presence of accessory cells, which could not be substituted by interleukin 1 beta or 6. These results suggest that a subset of human T cells carrying gamma/delta antigen receptors may be selectively stimulated by the as yet unknown CD6 ligand.
Pawelec
G
G
Second Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Clinic, Tübingen, Germany.
Bühring
H J
HJ
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000276:immunology*; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; C062279:CD6 antigen; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta