Helper factors derived from autologous mixed lymphocyte cultures

Abstract

When human peripheral blood T lymphocytes were cultured with irradiated autologous trinitrophenyl modified autologous cells, cytotoxic cells were generated against the latter, provided that an additional stimulatory signal was also introduced into the cultures. Experiments carried out in this paper showed that this stimulus could be provided by the autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction derived by adding to the cultures autologous non-T mononuclear cells or autologous lymphoblastoid cell line cells. Cell-free supernatants obtained from such autologous mixed lymphocyte cultures were also effective. In addition, autologous mixed lymphocyte culture supernatants induced the generation of antibody producing cells from monocyte-depleted peripheral blood mononuclear cells. However, in contrast to the cytotoxic response, this effector function could be induced to a significant degree in the absence of antigen. Quantitation of the percentage of plasma cells formed/cultured was the best indicator of this polyclonal activation. These experiments indicate that helper factors are produced in autologous mixed lymphocyte cultures which can provide a signal to induce the development of cytotoxic and antibody-producing cells.