Surface phenotypes of human T cell lines generated after WGA- and PHA-stimulation

We have reported earlier that human T lymphocytes from blood or spleens of normal donors can be propagated in long-term culture in the presence of IL-2, after stimulation either with wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) or phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and with the use of repeated restimulation with supernatants collected after 24 h of such cultures. In the present study we demonstrate that lymphoblast lines generated with this method contain predominantly the cells expressing CD3 molecule and alpha beta heterodimer of T cell receptor (TcR alpha beta). In PHA-initiated lymphoblast lines CD4-CD8+ cells prevailed, whereas in lymphoblast lines generated after WGA-stimulation various proportion of CD4+CD8-, CD+CD8- and CD4-CD8- cells were found. In some cell lines a gradual selective outgrowth of TcR alpha beta CD4+CD8- or CD4-CD8- cells was observed. These data indicate that the long-term growth potential of human normal T lymphoblasts is not restricted to a single subset and that the surface phenotypes acquired during differentiation of the cells can be retained even after more than 100 population doublings in culture.