Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Separation of T effector cells in humoral and cellular immunity

Nature volume 252, pages 607–608 (1974)Cite this article

Abstract

THE precise relationship between thymus-derived (T) helper cells in the antibody response and T effector cells in cellular immunity is not clear. Both cell functions have closely related dose response curves1, kinetics of sensitisation1, susceptibility to antibody suppression1–3 and anatomical distribution4. Bone marrow-derived (B) lymphocytes can be stimulated for antibody synthesis by a stimulus from immunocompetent allogeneic5 or xenogeneic6 lymphoid cells. These observations have led to the hypothesis that T helper cells are identical to cytotoxic T cells and act on B cells by secreting a factor which stimulates them to produce antibody. Liew and Parish7 have reported, however, that T helper cells in humoral immunity recognise different forms of chemically modified flagellin than do T cells in cellular immunity. Furthermore, Dennert8 has shown that T-helper and T-killer cells are mutually exclusive under certain immunisation conditions. The reports of Dennert8 and Liew and Parish7 suggest that T helper cells may not be identical to T effector cells in cellular immunity. We have now used a rosette technique9 which distinguishes different degrees of antigen-binding, in combination with velocity sedimentation at unit gravity10 to distinguish and separate T cells involved in the helper effect from T cells participating in cellular immunity reactions.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Kettman, J., Immun. Comm., 1, 289 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Kappler, J. W., Hoffmann, M., and Dutton, R. W., J. exp. Med., 134, 577 (1971).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Liew, F. W., and Parish, C. R., Cell. Immun., 4, 66 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Bloom, B. R., Adv. Immun., 13, 102 (1971).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Schimpl, A., and Wecker, E., Eur. J. Immun., 1, 304 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Dennert, G., and Lennox, E. S., Nature new Biol., 243, 214 (1973).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Liew, F. Y., and Parish, C. R., J. exp. Med., 139, 779 (1974).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Dennert, G., Nature, 249, 358 (1974).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Elliott, B. E., and Haskill, J. S., Eur. J. Immun., 3, 68 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Miller, R. G., and Phillips, R. A., J. Cell Physiol., 73, 191 (1969).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Miller, J. F. A. P., in Sigrid Juselius Symp. (edit. by Cross, A., Kosumen, T., and Mäkela, O.) (Academic Press, London, 1971).

    Google Scholar 

  12. Elliott, B. E., Haskill, J. S., and Axelrad, M. A., J. exp. Med., 138, 1133 (1973).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Cantor, H., and Asofsky, R., J. exp. Med., 135, 764 (1972).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  14. Bach, F. H., Segall, M., Stouber Zier, K., Sondel, P. M., Alter, B. J., and Bach, M. L., Science, 180, 403 (1973).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Cunningham, A. J., and Szenberg, A., Immunology, 14, 599 (1968).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. B. E. ELLIOTT: Basel Institute for Immunology, CH 4058 Basel, Switzerland.

  2. J. S. HASKILL: Department of Basic and Clinical Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina Charleston, South Carolina 29401.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. McGill University Cancer Research Unit, McIntyre Medical Sciences Building, 3655 Drummond Street, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1Y6, Canada

    B. E. ELLIOTT & J. S. HASKILL

Authors
  1. B. E. ELLIOTT
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. S. HASKILL
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

ELLIOTT, B., HASKILL, J. Separation of T effector cells in humoral and cellular immunity. Nature 252, 607–608 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/252607a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/252607a0

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing