Failure of Cultured Human T-Cell Lymphoid Lines to Stimulate in Mixed Leukocyte Culture

Abstract

Cultured human lymphoblastoid cell lines, originating from patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and possessing thymus-derived (T) lymphocyte characteristics, failed to activate normal allogeneic and xenogeneic (primate) peripheral lymphocytes in “1-way” mixed leukocyte cultures. In contrast, human and nonhuman primate lymphoblastoid cell lines, originating from normal donors and patients with leukemia or lymphoma and having bone marrow-derived (B) lymphocyte characteristics, were potent stimulators of autochthonous, allogeneic, and xenogeneic (primate) peripheral lymphocytes. T-cell lines may be derived from a clone of lymphoid cells which either lacked stimulatory antigens or lost such antigens during leukemogenesis.