The role of adherent cells in the immune response. Fibroblasts and products released by fibroblasts and peritoneal cells can substitute for adherent cells.

The primary immune response to sheep erythrocytes in adherent cell-depleted cultures was restored by adding a critical number of peritoneal cells. Complete substitution was achieved also with supernatants from allogeneic and syngeneic peritoneal cells. Both living fibroblasts and supernatants from fibroblast cultures were found to be highly efficient substitutes for adherent cells in both syngeneic and allogeneic systems. Supernatants from non-antigen-reated peritoneal cells and fibroblasts caused increased DNA synthesis and induction of polyclonal antibody synthesis in normal spleen cells. Thus, adherent cells need not function in the immune response by presenting antigen to the B cells via 'IgT' or by releasing signal-2 activity, which acts on lymphocytes that have already received signal 1.