The dissociation of interleukin-2 production and antigen-specific helper activity by clonal analysis

Influenza virus immune human T-lymphocyte clones maintained in continuous culture in TCGF were analysed for helper activity and interleukin-2 (IL-2) production. The clones that functioned as helper cells in the production of specific antibody failed to release detectable amounts of IL-2. Conversely, the T cells that produced IL-2 were unable to provide either specific or non-specific helper function. These findings indicated the IL-2 is not an essential component for helper activity. However, phenotypic analysis revealed that both the functional subsets of T-cell clones expressed the helper phenotype in that they were T4+, T3+ and T11+. Nevertheless analysis with other antibodies revealed differences in that the IL-2 releasing clone showed greater staining with the anti-T-cell subset antibodies 9.3 and Leu 8, confirming that there is phenotype as well as functional heterogeneity within the helper inducer T-cell population.