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Proliferative T cell clones directed at a human minor antigen
1Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Bone Marrow Transplantation, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia.
Experimental and Clinical Immunogenetics
|January 1, 1985
Summary
Researchers identified helper T cells that recognize minor antigens presented by self-class II HLA molecules. These T cells proliferate in response to specific stimulations, indicating a role in immune recognition.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cellular immunology
- Transplantation immunology
Background:
- Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) play a role in recognizing foreign antigens.
- Minor histocompatibility antigens are targets for T cell responses, particularly in transplantation.
- The role of T cell subsets in recognizing minor antigens in the context of self-human leukocyte antigen (HLA) is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To isolate and characterize T cell clones recognizing human minor antigens.
- To investigate the functional capabilities of T cell clones beyond cytotoxicity, specifically proliferation in response to antigen stimulation.
- To determine if helper T cells can recognize minor antigens in association with self-class II HLA determinants.
Main Methods:
- Isolation of interleukin-2-dependent cytotoxic T cell lines.
- Screening of T cell clones for cytotoxicity against HLA-identical minor antigen-positive cells.
- Assessment of T cell proliferation in the primed lymphocyte typing (PLT) test using HLA-identical sibling and unrelated cells.
- Analysis of cell surface antigen expression (e.g., Leu 3a) on responding T cell clones.
- HLA typing of stimulator cells to identify class II determinants (e.g., DR 2).
Main Results:
- Cytotoxic T cell clones recognizing minor antigens were successfully isolated.
- Non-cytotoxic T cell clones were identified that proliferated in the PLT test.
- Proliferation was observed in response to stimulation by cells from some HLA-identical siblings and DR 2-positive unrelated individuals.
- These proliferating T cell clones expressed the Leu 3a cell surface antigen, characteristic of helper T cells.
- The responding cell line used to generate CTLs expressed DR 2, a class II HLA determinant.
Conclusions:
- Helper T cells can recognize minor antigens presented in the context of self-class II HLA determinants.
- T cell proliferation in the PLT test serves as a functional assay for helper T cell recognition of minor antigens.
- These findings contribute to understanding T cell-mediated immune responses in transplantation and autoimmunity.