Specific suppression of antibody responses by soluble protein-specific, class II-restricted cytolytic T lymphocyte clones.

Antigenic stimulation with exogenous soluble proteins induces cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) recognizing antigenic peptides presented on class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules. Such CTL have been shown to lyse preferentially B cells expressing immunoglobulin receptors reactive with the relevant antigens, presumably because such B cells can efficiently trap and present the antigen. Therefore, possible involvement of soluble protein antigen-specific CTL in specific suppression of antibody responses has been hypothesised. In this report, keyhole limpet hemocyanin and ovalbumin-specific, class II-restricted CD4+ CTL clones established from lymph nodes of immunized mice were examined for their suppressive activities on antibody production. When these CTL clones were added to in vitro secondary cultures, genetically restricted, carrier-specific suppression of anti-2,4,6-trinitrophenyl antibody production was observed. These data therefore demonstrate that CTL directed toward soluble antigens are capable of mediating specific suppression of antibody responses. Furthermore, the antibody response of MHC-heterozygous F1 lymphocytes was almost completely suppressed by a CTL clone restricted to one parental class II MHC antigen, indicating that the mechanism of suppression by these CTL is distinct from that by classical suppressor T cells.