HUMAN TH0-TYPE T-HELPER-CELL CLONE SUPPORTS ANTIGEN-SPECIFIC IMMUNOGLOBULIN PRODUCTION IN SCID BEIGE-HU MICE/

Tetanus toxoid-specific T cells have been generated from human splenic lymphocytes by an initial 6-day stimulation period with antigen, foll owed by a proliferation period with recombinant IL-2 and human feeder cells. Proliferating T cells were subsequently cloned by limiting dilu tion. A human T-cell clone that was functionally characterized showed: (i) a specific proliferative response to tetanus toroid in the presen ce of autologous Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-transformed lymphoblastoid c ells; (ii) a phenotype characteristic for the helper/inducer CD4(+)/CD 8(-)/CD45R0(+) T cells, and (iii) a lymphokine profile, as determined by mRNA analysis, representative of Th0-like human CD4(+) T helper cel l. This tetanus toroid-specific T-cell clone which showed antigen-depe ndent helper activity for antibody production by autologous B cells in vitro could also provide T-cell help to antigen-specific human B cell s transplanted into severe combined immunodeficiency (scid/beige) mice .