Proliferative response in solid culture of T cells from patients with extrinsic bronchial asthma

T cells proliferative response in both liquid and solid culture conditions (the later prevents direct cell to cell contact) was investigated in nineteen Extrinsic Bronchial Asthma patients (EBA). Tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA), a T cell mitogen was used as mitogenic stimulus in both liquid and solid conditions. While the response to phytohemaglutinin (used in liquid culture as reference) was intact, the EBA group showed a significant reduction in the proliferative response to TPA in both culture conditions. Furthermore, when adherent cells were removed prior to TPA stimulation, while the control group showed a significant decrease in proliferation, the already depressed low proliferation of the EBA group remained unchanged. These results suggest the prevalence of suppressor signals in EBA and may indicate heterogeneity of the suppressor cells pool since high levels of total serum IgE were also present in the same patients.