Establishment of different T cell sublines using either interleukin 2 or interleukin 4 as growth factors

Purified protein derivative reactive T cell lines were established under identical conditions with the exception that different lymphokines, namely interleukin (IL) 2 and IL 4 were employed as growth factors. IL 2 favored the development of T cell lines (LNC.2) which upon activation by concanavalin A (Con A) secreted predominantly lymphokines characteristic of TH1 cells. By contrast, T cell lines established with the aid of IL 4 as growth factor (LNC.4) produced mainly lymphokines representative of TH2 cells. Apart from their pattern of lymphokine secretion LNC.2 and LNC.4 T cells were found to differ in their proliferative response to lymphokines and Con A. LNC.2 T cells proliferated only marginally in the presence of IL 4, Con A or a combination of Con A and IL 1. Furthermore, the IL 2-dependent proliferation of LNC.2 T cells was slightly but significantly diminished by IL 4. In contrast, LNC.4 T cells showed a substantial IL 4-induced proliferative response which was on the one hand synergistically enhanced by minimal amounts of IL 2 and, on the other hand, strongly inhibited by interferon-gamma. In addition, LNC.4 T cells displayed a strong proliferation when stimulated by low concentrations of Con A in the presence of IL 1 as co-stimulator.