Analysis of the cytotoxic function of the thymocytes generated in a 14-day old mouse fetal thymus organ culture with high dose of IL-2.
The target cell specificity of LAK cells generated by addition of rIL-2 to thymic rudiments of 14 day old BALB/C embryo's was compared to the lytic potential of adult BALB/C splenic LAK cells. We used four tumor cell lines as targets, one NK-susceptible (YAC-1) and three NK-resistant tumors (C1300, P815 and EL4), which were all killed by splenic LAK cells. It is shown that fetal thymic LAK cells display a lower lytic activity, while EL4 tumor cells are not killed at all. By elimination of the CD8 positive cells from both the adult splenic and the fetal thymic LAK cells, we demonstrate that the fetal thymic LAK activity is mainly exerted by CD4-CD8- cells, whereas part of the cytotoxicity of splenic LAK cells is due to CD8+ cells.
Leclercq
G
G
University of Gent, Department for Bacteriology, Virology and Immunology, Belgium.
de Smedt
M
M
Tison
B
B
Plum
J
J
D000818:Animals; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005333:Fetus / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015979:Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000276:immunology
D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D007376:Interleukin-2