The surface phenotype of a suppressor cell of delayed-type hypersensitivity in the mouse.

Delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) to horse red blood cells was induced in cyclophosphamide-treated CBA/H mice. The DTH reaction, represented by an increase (0 x 8--1 x 0 mm) in footpad thickness 24 h after secondary challenge, could be suppressed by the adoptive transfer of 10(7) splenic lymphocytes from syngeneic mice primed with 10(9) HRBC. The surface antigenic phenotype of the suppressor cell was determined by the formation of EA, EAC, or Ig rosettes followed by depleting the rosetted populations on Isopaque-Ficoll. The suppressor cell was found to be Ig-, FcR- and CR-, although some suppression was observed with FcR+ cells. Cell depletions with cytotoxic alloantisera and rabbit complement further characterized the suppressor cell as being Thy-1+, Ly-1+, 2-, 3-, 4-, 5+, 6+, 7-, Ia- and IJ-. This cell surface phenotype if unique and differs from the Ly-1-, 2+, 3+, I-J+ suppressor cell of antibody formation and from the recently described Ly-+, 2+, 3+ feedback suppressor T cell.