HUMAN CD8(-LYMPHOCYTE CLONES SPECIFIC FOR T-CELL RECEPTOR V-BETA FAMILIES EXPRESSED ON AUTOLOGOUS CD4(+) T-CELLS() T)

CD8(+) T cells control immune responses, and recent studies suggest th at this regulation is, in part, specifically directed towards TCR stru ctures expressed by CD4(+) cells. To develop a system to study the rol e of the TCR in regulatory interactions, we isolated clones of CD4+ ce lls expressing identified TCR V beta chains. These CD4(+) clones were used to stimulate and expand autologous CD8(+) cells, which kill the i nducing CD4+ clone as well as independently isolated autologous CD4+ c lones sharing the same TCR V beta as the inducing cell but not CD4+ T cells expressing different V beta TCRs. This V beta-specific cytotoxic ity is dependent on the state of activation of the target cells and is not inhibited by an anti-class I monoclonal antibody, W6/32. We envis ion that V beta-specific CD8(+) T cells of this type may regulate immu ne responses by direct interaction with antigen-activated CD4(+) cells .