Cellular interactions in the adoptive transfer of contact sensitivity: characterization of an antigen-nonspecific Vicia villosa-adherent T cell needed for adoptive transfer into naive recipients.

Abstract

The adoptive transfer of delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) into naive recipients requires the interaction of two functionally distinct Ly-1+ T cells: and I-J- cell effector cell for DTH which transfers antigen-specific DTH only into animals whose suppressive mechanisms have been compromised, and and I-J+ cell which alone never transfers DTH but allows the transfer of DTH by the I-J- DTH effector cell into naive animals. We investigated the phenotypic and functional characteristics of the cell which "protects" the I-J- DTH effector cell from host suppressive mechanisms and allows the transfer of DTH into naive recipients. This cell was found to express the cell surface phenotype Lyt-1+,2-, L3T4+, and I-J+, and, in contrast to the I-J- DTH effector cell, was found to be adherent to the lectin Vicia villosa (VV). These cells routinely are found in the spleens of both immune or naive animals, and regardless of their origin are antigen-nonspecific in their functional activity in that they complement VV-nonadherent cells to transfer DTH responses of both TNP and oxazolone-primed cells. Treatment of recipient mice with cyclophosphamide (to remove host suppressor mechanisms) or Bordetella pertussis vaccine (which stimulates splenic T cells to circulate) abrogates the need for these cells in the transfer population, whereas treatment of donor mice with B. pertussis functionally depletes these cells from splenic T cell populations. Therefore, it appears that in the adoptive transfer of DTH responses, the antigen-specific I-J- VV-nonadherent cell requires an I-J+ VV-adherent cell in the circulation to overcome host suppressive mechanisms. The importance of these I-J+ cells in DTH responses is discussed.