Migration inhibition of T lymphocytes from human peripheral blood by specific antigen and lymphokines.

The inhibition of migration of human peripheral blood cells in the presence of PPD was studied. It was found that migration inhibition of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MN) from Mantoux-positive donors was far greater than the migration inhibition of peripheral blood leucocytes (PBL). Moreover, MN cells and T lymphocytes showed larger and more uniform areas of migration. In contrast, the migration of B lymphocytes and monocytes was poor. Further analysis using purified subpopulations of MN cells showed that PPD inhibited the migration of T lymphocytes but not of B lymphocytes and monocytes. Corresponding to these findings, lymphokine-containing supernatants also inhibited the migration of purified T cells from Matoux-negative donors. It was concluded that the T lymphocyte was the predominant cell in the MN cell population, which migrated, and was subject to inhibition by PPD or lymphokines. These results imply that the movement of human T lymphocytes may be influenced by soluble factors from antigen-activated sensitized cells.