Depletion of T-lymphocyte subsets using monoclonal antibody and complement: effect on T-colony formation

Using monoclonal antibody and fresh rabbit serum, mononuclear cells from 11 healthy individuals were depleted of either helper or suppressor T-lymphocytes by complement-mediated lysis. The effect on T-lymphocyte colony formation was studied to determine the nature of the T-colony-forming cell. While depletion of either subset of T-lymphocytes significantly reduced T-colony formation compared to controls (P less than 0.01), colony formation did not differ significantly between helper or suppressor T-cell-depleted cells. Thus T-colony formation appears to be a property of both helper and suppressor T-lymphocytes, and both subsets are necessary for optimal colony formation.