Regulatory mechanisms in cell-mediated immune response. V. Distinct Lyt subsets mediate antigen-specific and antigen-nonspecific suppression.

These studies were undertaken to assess the T cell subpopulations mediating antigen-specific as well as antigen-nonspecific suppression of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses to alloantigens. It was first demonstrated that generation of the CTL response itself requires Lyt 1+2+ T cells. Subsequent studies then characterized two distinct suppressor pathways that regulate the CTL response. Antigen nonspecific suppression was mediated by Lyt 1+2-Ts cells that were generated during in vitro culture from an Lyt 1+2- precursor population. In a second pathway, antigen-specific suppression was mediated predominantly by Lyt 1-2+ Ts cells that were activated during the in vitro allosensitization of Lyt 1+2+ precursors. Thus, the in vitro CTL response to alloantigens is modulated by two different pathways of T-cell-mediated suppression, and these pathways are mediated by distinct Lyt-defined T cell subpopulations.