AUTOTUMOUR REACTIVE T-CELL CLONES AMONG TUMOR-INFILTRATING T-LYMPHOCYTES IN B-CELL NON-HODGKINS-LYMPHOMAS

Seventy-three T-cell clones (TCC) were established from tumour-infiltr ating lymphocytes-T (TIL-T) derived from lymph nodes involved by B-cel l non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (B-NHL) in nine patients with different hist ological subtypes and clinical stages. 40 TCC (55%) expressed the CD25 Ag and were also able to proliferate in the presence of irradiated au tologous B-NHL cells. Among them, 23 autotumour (AuTu) proliferative T CC were found not to proliferate to autologous EBV-transformed B-cell lines, indicating that the proliferative reactivity of these TCC was p referentially directed at autologous B-NHL cells, Tested against autol ogous B-NHL cells, only three AuTu proliferative TCC (CD8(+)) showed a significant level of cytotoxicity (specific lysis > 15%), In blocking experiments, the AuTu proliferative reactivity of three TCC from one patient was strongly inhibited by anti-DR and anti-DQ mAbs, whereas th at of three TCC from another patient was not affected by either anti-M HC class I or class II (DR, DP, DQ) mAbs. These findings suggest that the recognition of autologous B-NHL cells by AuTu proliferative TCC ma y occur through MHC-restricted as well as MHC-unrestricted mechanisms.