Precursor frequency analysis of lymphokine-secreting alloreactive T lymphocytes. Dissociation of subsets producing interleukin 2, macrophage-activating factor, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor on the basis of Lyt-2 phenotype.
The frequencies of precursors of C57BL/6 T lymphocytes that respond to DBA/2 alloantigens by secreting the lymphokines interleukin 2 (IL-2), macrophage-activating factor (MAF), and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) have been directly compared with cytolytic T lymphocyte precursor (CTL-P) frequencies in limiting dilution microcultures established from spleen cells positively or negatively selected on the basis of Lyt-2 phenotype. A clear dichotomy was observed between CTL-P, which were contained in the Lyt-2+ fraction, and precursors of IL-2-secreting cells, which were detected almost exclusively in the Lyt-2- population. In contrast, precursors of cells secreting MAF and GM-CSF were found in both populations: almost all responding cells from the Lyt-2- fraction produced both these factors, whereas the precursor frequency of MAF-secreting and GM-CSF-secreting cells was three- to fourfold lower in the Lyt-2+ population. These frequency data were consistent with quantitative differences observed in the average production of these lymphokines by Lyt-2+ and Lyt-2- populations.
D000818:Animals; D000950:Antigens, Ly / Q000032:analysis*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003115:Colony-Stimulating Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006098:Granulocytes; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016215:Macrophage-Activating Factors; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*
D000950:Antigens, Ly; D003115:Colony-Stimulating Factors; D007376:Interleukin-2; D008222:Lymphokines; D016215:Macrophage-Activating Factors