Inhibition of Virus-Specific, HLA-Restricted, T Cell-Mediated Lysis by Monoclonal Anti-T Cell Antibodies

Abstract

Monoclonal antibodies have defined several T lymphocyte-specific antigens. It has been found that some of these will activate or inhibit T cell functions [1, 2, 3]. It is well established that some antibodies which recognise the T3 and T8 antigens can block cytotoxic T cell-(CTL) mediated lysis of allogeneic cells [4, 5] and HLA-restricted lysis of virus-infected cells [6] but not natural killer (NK) cell-mediated lysis [7]. In addition, antibodies specific for the lymphocyte function antigen (LFA) can inhibit both CTL and NK cell-mediated lysis [8]. Similar observations have been made in the mouse where anti-Lyt 2 and anti-LFA antibodies inhibit T cell-mediated lysis [9, 10]. These observations are of interest because they suggest a role for such cell surface antigens in T cell recognition of target cells and in the lytic process. In this report we describe the effect of the workshop anti-T lymphocyte antibodies on the T cell-mediated lysis of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-transformed cell lines.

This work was supported by a Medical Research Council grant to A.J. McMichael. We are grateful to Professor P. J. Morris for access to the cytofluorograph