Hapten-specific T cell responses to 4-hydroxy-3-nitrophenyl acetyl. IX. Characterization of Idiotype-specific effector-phase suppressor cells on plaque-forming cell responses in vitro.

The ability of T suppressor cells, induced by the intravenous injection of 4-hydroxy-3-nitrophenyl acetyl (NP)-modified syngeneic spleen cells, to affect an ongoing B cell response was studied in vitro. It was found that the expression of NPb idiotype-positive B cells could be selectively inhibited by the addition of antigen-induced suppressor cells in the last 24 h of the in vitro culture. This effector-phase suppression of B cell responses was antigen specific and mediated by an Lyt 1-, Lyt 2+, idiotype-binding, T cell population whose suppressive function was restricted by genes linked to the Igh locus.