ESTABLISHMENT OF AN IL-2-DEPENDENT BOVINE T-CELL LINE AND AN ASSAY OF LYMPHOCYTE-RESPONSE INHIBITION IN LEUKEMIC BOVINE SERUM

The mechanism of immunosuppression induced by leukemic bovine serum was investigated with respect to lymphokine reactions using an interleukin 2 (IL-2)-dependent bovine T cell line generated from bovine peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs). The suppression of concanavalin A (con A)-induced PBL blastogenesis was observed at a high rate in leukemic cattle sera. The growth of IL-2-dependent bovine T cells and IL-2 production from con A-induced bovine PBLs were also inhibited by these sera, and particularly, the latter was correlated significantly to the degree of lymphocyte blastogenesis by the mitogen. Therefore, the lesser sensitivity of lymphocytes to IL-2 and the reduced IL-2 production by activated lymphocytes seem to play a role in suppressing the lymphocyte reaction.