Cell suppression in PPD-induced blast specific response of human peripheral blood lymphocytes

Secific stimulation of T-cells by PPD was inhibited by their autologous B cells. This inhibition was obtained with B cells separated either by depletion of E-RFC or by elution, with human IgG of lymphocytes bound to Sephadex beads coated with rabbit antibodies anti-human Fab fragments. The suppression was proportional to the number of B cells added to 10(6) T cells incubated with PPD and as previously reported was more marked in the case of B or T cells from BCG-vaccinated subjects with negative skin tests. The suppressive phenomenon required viable B cells and was inhibited by cycloheximide but was not altered by pretreatment of suppressor cells with actinomycin D or colchicine. It seems that B-suppressor cells interfere with recognition of PPD by T cells rather than with the proliferative phase of the specific blast response. Using various surface markers (i.e. Ig, C3 and Fc receptors) it was shown that the suppressor cells represent a subset of Ig-bearing B cells which do not carry Fc receptors.