Cellular responses to bacterial lipopolysaccharide: T cells recognize LPS determinants.

An in vitro proliferative system was used to assess the capacity of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce a specific T-cell response in mice. Sensitized T cells were generated in vivo by subcutaneous inoculation with LPS. These T cells, which were purified on nylon wool columns, were stimulated to proliferate in vitro by LPS. Results of several lines of experimentation confirmed that the responding cells were T cells. Additional experiments indicated that sensitized T cells could distinguish between LPS and ovalbumin. Finally, it was found that genetic responsiveness to the biological effects of lipid A was required for full elicitation of LPS-induced T-cell proliferation. The data were interpreted to indicate that LPS interacted with, and stimulated, antigen-specific murine T cells.