Abstract
THE ability of a subpopulation of T cells to inhibit both cellular and humoral responses is well documented1,2. These regulatory or suppressor T cells have been produced by both antigen-specific and nonspecific stimuli, and both antigen-specific and nonspecific suppressive mechanisms have been suggested. In various studies T cells, B cells and macrophages have all been implicated as the primary target of the suppressor cells. We3,4 and others5,6 have reported the nonspecific activation of both helper and suppressor murine T cells by concanavalin A (con A). The helper cell produces a nonantigen-specific mediator (NSM), of molecular weight 35,000, which can substitute for antigen-specific helper cells in the in vitro plaque-forming-cell (PFC) response of murine B cells to the antigen, sheep red blood cells (SRBC)3,4. We report here the inhibition of this response by con A-activated suppressor cells and present evidence that the mode of action of the suppressors in this system involves the inactivation of the helper factor, NSM, and not a direct effect on the responding B cells.
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HARWELL, L., MARRACK, P. & KAPPLER, J. Suppressor T-cell inactivation of a helper T-cell factor. Nature 265, 57–59 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1038/265057a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/265057a0
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