Powerful immunosuppression mediated by interleukin 2-activated, nonantigen-specific, or H-2-restricted THY-1+ CD8+ cells.
Normal spleen cells cultured in high or low concentrations of interleukin (IL) 2 for 3 days contain Thy-1+ CD4- CD8+ cells that powerfully suppress primary but not ongoing or active lymphocyte responses. The precursors of these cells are Thy-1+ AGM-1- and are absent or present in greatly diminished numbers in athymic and scid mice. Suppression is neither antigen nor H-2 restricted and apparently results from reversible inactivation of resting lymphocytes. Comparable Thy-1+ CD8+ suppressor cells were also recovered from normal spleen cells cultured for 3 days with anti-CD3 antibody without added IL-2, indicating that these cells can be activated during the course of immune responses. Such cells may prevent local recruitment/activation of lymphocytes specific for new epitopes that may be expressed sequentially by proliferating tumor cells or infectious organisms.
Torre-Amione
G
G
Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Illinois 60637.
Tuetken
R
R
Rowley
D A
DA
D000818:Animals; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D017252:CD3 Complex; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D002999:Clone Cells; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006183:H-2 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens
D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D017252:CD3 Complex; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D006183:H-2 Antigens; D007376:Interleukin-2; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens