Human helper-T-cell function does not require T4 antigen expression.

The relationship between immunoregulatory T-cell function and the expression of T-cell subset-specific differentiation antigens was examined using a phenotypically anomalous human T-cell line (TCL), termed H-1. H-1 cells were found to express T11, extremely high levels of T3, but no T4 nor T8 antigen. Despite their lack of T4 antigen expression, H-1 cells could be activated by coculture with pokeweed mitogen (PWM), anti-T3 antibody, or autologous B cells to provide potent help for B-cell differentiation into plaque-forming cells (PFC). In contrast, H-1 cells did not suppress the PFC response triggered by PWM-activated T4+ cells. These results demonstrate that the expression of the T-cell subclass-specific differentiation antigen, T4, is not required for a T cell to become activated and to implement the program for helper function. In addition, enhanced expression of T3 on the T4-, T8-, H-1 cell surface may reflect a compensatory upregulation of the T3/Ti receptor complex on T cells which are deficient in these nonpolymorphic associative recognition structures.