Cooperative effects in mitogen- and antigen-induced responses of human peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations

Human peripheral blood lymphocytes were separated into T cell-enriched and T cell-depleted fractions by E rosette sedimentation. These two fractions, as well as the unseparated lymphocyte suspension, were tested for their responsiveness to the mitogens phytohemagglutinin (PHA), concanavalin A (ConA) and pokeweed mitogen (PWM) and to the antigens PPD (purified protein derivative of tuberculin) and tetanus toxoid. The response to PHA, ConA and the antigens was found to be confined to the purified T cell fraction; PWM could stimulate both purified T and non-T cells. However, the T cell response to ConA, PPD and tetanus toxoid was always decreased by 50-70%, when compared to the unseparated lymphocytes. Addition of monocytes could restore the T cell response. In the response to PHA and tetanus toxoid, the (primarily unresponsive) non-T cell fraction could be recruited into proliferation by gamma-irradiated T cells. Moreover, in the response to tetanus toxoid, lymphocytes (T as well as non-T) from a nonimmune individual could be recruited into proliferation by gamma-irradiated immune T cells.