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Human Cord Blood Suppressor T Lymphocytes: I. Phenotype and Target of the Inducer of Suppressor Cell Factor
Author(s) -
CHENG HENRY,
SEHON ALEC H.,
DELESPESSE GUY
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
american journal of reproductive immunology and microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1600-0897
pISSN - 8755-8920
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0897.1985.tb00284.x
Subject(s) - suppressor , inducer , phenotype , cord blood , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , immunology , genetics , gene
The present study examines the characteristics of the cord suppressor T cells and their targets. When an inducer of suppressor T cell factor (TisF) from culture supernatant of alloantigen‐activated cord lymphocytes was used as a source of suppression, adult lymphocyte response to soluble antigen candidin, alloantigens, and pokeweed mitogen were all suppressed. These results suggest that TisF acts primarily on T cells in an antigen‐nonspecific fashion. Furthermore, pre‐culture T cell irradiation, but not T8 + cell depletion, of adult lymphocytes abrogated the suppressive effect of TisF on the PWM‐stimulated IgG production, suggesting that the target of TisF belongs to the radiosensitive T8 − (T4 + ) T cell subset. When different cord T cell subsets were tested for suppressor activity, only radiosensitive T4 + cells were capable of suppressing IgG production by adult lymphocytes. Neither preculture T8 + cell depletion nor irradiation of adult T cells affected the suppression. Taken together, these results suggest that the suppressor activity of cord T cells originated from an inducer of suppressor ceils that activates radiosensitive T4 + suppressor effector cells through TisF. In turn, these effector cells act on either radioresistant T4 + helper T cells or B cells or both.