MLC-specific suppressor T lymphocytes in man. I. Their induction in vitro by soluble HLA-DR antigens.
Human T lymphocytes precultured for 36 hr in the presence of soluble HLA-DR antigens suppress the MLR response of autologous peripheral blood lymphocytes to allogeneic stimulating cells. The suppression is DR antigen-specific in that it appears that the MLR stimulating cell donor and the soluble suppressor-inducing antigen must share DR specificities. The soluble DR antigens were fractionated from the sera of normal donors using QAE-Sephadex chromatography and CNBr-activated Sepharose immunoadsorption. Similarly prepared HLA-A and -B antigens failed to induce suppressive activity. The suppressive activity of DR-antigen cultured T cells is resistant to mitomycin C treatment and, further, the antigen specificity is maintained with or without mitomycin C treatment. The kinetics of suppressor cell induction as well as the kinetics of suppression in the test MLR cultures are presented. The implications of these results are discussed.
D000328:Adult; D000939:Epitopes; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D008937:Mitomycins / Q000494:pharmacology; D012995:Solubility; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*
D000939:Epitopes; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D008937:Mitomycins