Soluble T-cell products antigenically related to T-cell receptors

Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) cultured with or without concanavalin A (Con A) secrete soluble TCR alpha and TCR beta chains. Soluble TCR-like products of three different relative molecular masses--185,000 (Mr 185 kDa), 152 and 42 kDa--which are antigenically similar to those on T lymphocytes have been found in sera from healthy adult donors. These findings suggest that soluble TCRs, antigenically similar to cell surface TCRs, are secreted from T lymphocytes.