Rosette-forming ability of thymus-derived lymphocytes in cell-mediated immunity. I. Delayed hypersensitivity and in vitro cytotoxicity.

Effector cells in delayed hypersensitivity and in vitro cytotoxicity were studied in lymph node cells from animals immunized with sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) in complete Freund's adjuvant. Delayed hypersensitivity response (DHR) was assayed by the increase in foot pad swelling after the intrafoot pad injection of immune cells plus antigen. Cell-mediated cytotoxicity against SRBC was assayed by a microcytotoxicity test with sheep fibroblasts as target cells. Effector cells were antigen specific, sensitive to anti-theta serum plus complement (C), and insensitive to anti-Ig serum plus C. A nonrosette-forming (non-RFC) small lymphocyte effector T cell and a rosette-forming medium lymphocyte effector T cell were isolated by velocity sedimentation. The small lymphocyte non-RFC required a longer time than the medium lymphocyte RFC effector cell to produce maximum activity. Buoyant density failed to distinguish medium lymphocyte effector cells in DHR and in vitro cytotoxicity.