T Cells Marked by the 2H4 Antigen Function in Allosuppression

Abstract

A mouse monoclonal antibody (MAb), anti-2H4 (IgG1 subclass), has recently been described (1) that recognizes 200/220 kD glycoproteins (2) of the leukocyte common antigen/T200 family. The 2H4 antigen is found on 42% of unfractionated human T cells, 41% of CD4+ lymphocytes, 54% of CD8+ lymphocytes, and over 30% of both peripheral blood B cells and null cells. In a pokeweed mitogen system that measures B cell immunoglobulin production, the CD4+2H4+ cells were found to be inducers of suppression (1) and CD4+2H4− cells to be inducers of help (3). In the autologous mixed lymphocyte response (AMLR), CD8+2H4+ cells were found to have suppressor effector function (4). Additionally, in a concanavalin A− activated system, suppressor cell activity belonged to the 2H4+ subset of T cells (2). As the role of these subsets have not been established in alloimmunity, we studied the proliferative response and generation of suppressor cells in an allogeneic MLR using 2H4 enriched or depleted cells as the responding population.