title: Specific cytotoxicity of human lymphocyte subpopulations defined by bacterial adherence.
abstract: It has been shown that lymphocytes can be subdivided into subpopulations based on their binding of bacteria. Monolayers of immobilized and fixed bacteria were used here to separate T cells into BA-T1T2, adherent to Escherichia coli-2 (EC-2+) and BA-T3T4, non-adherent to this strain of bacteria (Ec-2-) (our denomination). The cells were activated in mixed lymphocyte cultures (MLC) and tested for cytotoxic activity. The BA-T1T2 cells developed the same cytotoxic activity as the sham-separated T cells whereas BA-T3T4 cells did not become cytotoxic. When the T cells were separated into BA-T2 cells, adherent to Bacillus globigii (Bg+), and BA-T1T3T4, non-adherent, (Bg- cells became cytotoxic. Since BA-T1 cells, which represent 10-20% of T cells, are common to the two populations they appear to contain all T cells needed to develop the specific cytotoxicity for allogeneic cells. When the cells were first activated in MLC for 6 days and then separated by adherence to E. coli-2 or B. globigii, all cytotoxic cells were in the non-adherent fraction. We concluded that the subpopulation of T cells which are Ec-2+Bg- (less than 20%) contain all the cells required for the development of cytoxic cell function and that after activation they become Ec-2-Bg-.
authors.forename: G T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Spear
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Teodorescu
mesh_terms: D001407:Bacillus / Q000276:immunology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002469:Cell Separation; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D008297:Male; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification* / Q000276:immunology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology