ANERGIC T-CELLS AS SUPPRESSOR CELLS IN-VITRO

T cell-mediated suppression is an established phenomenon, but its unde rlying mechanisms are obscure. An in vitro system was used to test the possibility that anergic T cells can act as specific suppressor cells . Anergic human T cells caused inhibition of antigen-specific and allo specific T cell proliferation. In order for the inhibition to occur, t he anergic T cells had to be specific for the same antigen-presenting cells (APCs) as the T cells that were suppressed. The mechanism of thi s suppression appears to be competition for the APC surface and for lo cally produced interleukin-2.