Immune response to alien histocompatibility antigens on Epstein-Barr virus transformed cells

Expression of alien histocompatibility antigens on Epstein-Barr virus transformed, cultured lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCL), which were established from normal peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL), was studied by means of mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR), cell mediated lysis (CML) and primed lymphocyte typing (PLT). Stimulation of PBL by autologous LCL resulted in some MLR responses and generation of cytotoxic effector cells against autologous LCL. Restimulation of PBL by 16 individual allogeneic PBL failed to prime an individual lymphocytes against autologous LCL in PLT tests. However, stimulation of PBL by a pooled normal PBL resulted in generation of cytotoxic cells against autologous LCL. Culturing of stimulated PBL in the presence of T cell growth factor (TCGF) for 30 days was shown to maintain cytotoxic effector cells in the cell population.