FUNCTIONAL-CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVER T-LYMPHOCYTES IN ALLOGENIC RESPONSE TO MUTANT CLASS-I AND CLASS-II MHC MOLECULES

Assessment of the allogenic proliferative response of different subpop ulations (CD4(+), CD8(+), CD4(-)CD8(-)) of liver T-lymphocytes to clas s I and II mutant MHC molecules showed that, like peripheral T-lymphoc ytes, liver T-lymphocytes CD4(+) recognized class II but not class I, whereas CD8(+) recognized class I but not II. Monoclonal antibodies ag ainst CD4 and CD8 coreceptors selectively inhibited the response of li ver T-lymphocytes to mutant MHC molecules of class II and I, respectiv ely. Spleen lymphocytes CD4(-)CD8(-) did not proliferate in their resp onse to alloantigens. On the contrary, removal of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T- cells from the liver lymphocyte population did not completely abolish the response. Thus, the primary proliferative allogenic response of li ver lymphocytes was in agreement with the classical scheme of MHC-rest ricted recognition, and thymus should be considered the most probable source of alloreactive liver T-lymphocytes.