Isolation of leukaemia-associated inhibitor (LAI)-producing cells from normal peripheral blood

LAI, leukaemia-associated inhibitor, has previously been shown to be produced by a subpopulation of null cells in myeloid leukaemia, and has the capacity to suppress the proliferation of normal granulopoietic stem cells, CFU-GM, in vitro. In the present study, low density mononuclear cells from normal peripheral blood were separated into adherent/non-adherent, phagocytic/non-phagocytic, T-lymphocytes/non-T cells, and Fc-receptor positive and negative cells in search for LAI-producing cells in normal blood. Cell fractions enriched for NK-cells were isolated from Percoll gradients and NK-activity and LAI-production were assayed in the different fractions. Anti-Leu-2, anti-Leu-3, and anti-HLA-DR were used to deplete mononuclear cells of cells positive for these monoclonals using a panning technique. It is concluded from these studies that normal LAI-producing cells belong to a non-adherent, non-phagocytic, non-T, non-B, Fc-receptor positive population which does not express NK-activity, and which is Leu-2, Leu-3 and HLA-DR negative. The results imply that LAI may be a novel feedback regulator of the proliferative rate of granulopoietic stem cells and that LAI is produced by a small subpopulation of cells in both blood and bone marrow.