STIMULATION OF PERIPHERAL-BLOOD T-CELLS BY AN ACTIVATED T-CELL LINE - A NOVEL HUMAN AUTOLOGOUS T-T LYMPHOCYTE-REACTION

T lymphocyte interactions have generally been described between discrete functional subsets. In our investigation of murine T-cell interactions we described a type of T-T interaction termed the 'Syngeneic T-T Lymphocyte Reaction' in which activated T-cell clones stimulated the proliferation of resting T cells mainly through a mechanism involving cell to cell contact. To investigate whether similar reactions occur in the human immune system we used the human autoreactive T-cell line C.1 to stimulate peripheral T cells. Line C.1 cells, which are not transformed and do not secrete IL2, consistently caused proliferation of purified freshly isolated autologous peripheral human T cells as measured by a [H-3]-thymidine incorporation assay. The proliferation was seen in both the CD4 and CD8 subsets and could be inhibited with anti-DR and anti-CD2 antibodies. The stimulation is not due to carryover of classical antigen-presenting cells or to the C.1 line cells acting as antigen-presenting cells. We propose that some activated T cells, probably by expression of a surface molecule, can stimulate resting T cells thereby allowing for antigen-non-specific augmentation of the immune response.