title: A method for the accurate determination of anti-hapten cytotoxic T lymphocyte precursors: correction for apparent 'anti-self' reactivity.
abstract: A method is described for accurately determining the frequency of precursors of hapten specific cytotoxic T cells. The method is based on a standard Poisson analysis of limit dilution cultures, but makes a correction of 'anti-self' reacting clones and for spontaneously arising clones that recognise modified self. These corrections are shown to be especially important when low hapten densities are used, where there may be more than a 10-fold difference between the corrected and uncorrected frequency estimates. Determined levels of antigen specificity and of H-2 restriction are significantly enhanced by application of this method.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000276:immunology; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic / Q000379:methods; D000939:Epitopes; D006241:Haptens / Q000276:immunology*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D007700:Kinetics; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D009592:Nitrohydroxyiodophenylacetate / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014301:Trinitrobenzenes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D006241:Haptens; D007376:Interleukin-2; D014301:Trinitrobenzenes; D009592:Nitrohydroxyiodophenylacetate