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Specific in vitro Cytotoxicity of Thymus-derived Lymphocytes sensitized to Alloantigens

Abstract

THE immune response to a specific antigen is characterized by the development of antibody-producing cells and of sensitized lymphocytes active in cell-mediated immunity. Although there is good evidence that antibody-producing cells are bone marrow-derived cells1–2, the role of thymus-derived cells is less well understood. Development of cell-mediated immunity is impaired in neonatally thymectomized animals3, and it is therefore likely that sensitized lymphocytes are thymus-derived cells. Spleen cell populations of mice immunized with allogeneic cells contain lymphocytes able to destroy in vitro appropriate target cells bearing the sensitizing alloantigens4–5. Earlier studies demonstrating the in vitro cytotoxic activity of sensitized thymus cells6 suggested that cytotoxic cells found in immune spleen cell populations were thymus-derived. As shown recently7–8 mouse thymus-derived cells in the peripheral lymphoid organs carry a surface marker, the θ alloantigen9, and are lysed when incubated in the presence of anti-θ serum and complement. This study was undertaken to test the effect of anti-θ serum on the cytotoxic activity of spleen cells sensitized to alloantigens. Its effect on alloantibody-producing cells present in the same spleen cell populations was tested in parallel.

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CEROTTINI, J., NORDIN, A. & BRUNNER, K. Specific in vitro Cytotoxicity of Thymus-derived Lymphocytes sensitized to Alloantigens. Nature 228, 1308–1309 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1038/2281308a0

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