Stimulation and expansion of a human T-cell subpopulation by a monoclonal antibody to T-cell receptor molecule.

A murine monoclonal antibody (MAb) was obtained that showed unique specificity for the immunizing T-cell line HPB-ALL. This antibody, C37 (an IgG1,K) also reacted with a small (2-5%) population of normal peripheral blood T (PBL-T) cells. These C37-positive (C37+) cells were found in both the T4/Leu3+ and T8/Leu2+ subsets. Like OKT3 antibody, C37 induced T-cell mitogenesis with a peak proliferative response at day 3. In long-term cultures containing irradiated autologous feeder cells and IL-2, C37 antibody caused the selective expansion of C37+ T cells. On HPB-ALL cells C37 induced comodulation of the T3 molecule. C37 precipitated a disulfide-linked dimer characteristic of the T-cell antigen receptor consisting of an alpha-subunit (45-48 kD) and a beta-subunit (38-42 kD) from both C37+ T-cell blasts of a normal individual and HPB-ALL cells that were surface radioiodinated. However, the precipitated molecule isolated from C37 antibody-activated T-cell blasts exhibited a different pI from that isolated from HPB-ALL cells. Our studies indicate that C37 recognizes an epitope on the T-cell receptor molecule that is shared by a subpopulation of human T cells, which raises the possibility that multiple variable-region associated and/or framework-like determinants of the T-cell antigen receptor can be defined serologically and used in functional and molecular studies of T-cell subsets.