Immunoregulatory function of T cells activated in the autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction.
This study was undertaken to define the functional properties of T cells stimulated in the autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) by purified B cells or macrophages. In preliminary experiments, it was found that T cells that had been cultured with autologous non-T cells inhibited pokeweed mitogen- (PWM) stimulated immunoglobulin synthesis by autologous B cells. In addition, the T cell-mediated suppression was eliminated by x-irradiation and hydrocortisone treatment, was mediated by a mechanism that occurred early in the PWM-stimulated cultures, and did not involve killing of mature immunoglobulin-secreting cells. T cells were then cultured with either autologous B cells or macrophages in order to determine whether such autoreactive T cells had a similar capacity to regulate PWM-induced immunoglobulin synthesis. Although T cell populations stimulated either by B cells or by macrophages suppressed proliferative responses and immunoglobulin synthesis, both these populations of autoreactive T cells provided help for immunoglobulin synthesis that was not significantly different from that provided by fresh T cells. These results suggest that the predominant functional consequence of activation of T cells in the autologous MLR is the generation of suppressor T cells capable of inhibiting immunoglobulin synthesis. Thus, the autologous MLR may represent a negative feedback mechanism for the regulation of the immune response.
D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000494:pharmacology; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D008264:Macrophages / Q000145:classification; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors
D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens; D006854:Hydrocortisone