"Self-reactive" T cells. I. In vivo reaction of T cells to transferred polyclonally activated syngeneic and autologous lymphoblasts.

Polyclonally activated splenic lymphocytes (generated in mitogen-stimulated cultures) were transferred to syngeneic or autologous recipient mice. Injection of cells into the footpad of syngeneic recipients induced a regional response in the ipsilateral popliteal lymph node; intravenous cell transfer elicited a systemic splenomegaly reaction. These reactions displayed a linear log number of transferred cells/response relationship in syngeneic and autologous systems. The kinetic and magnitude of the regional response to syngeneic lymphoblasts ands to allogeneic spleen cells were comparable. No difference was apparent in the phenomenology of the in-vivo responses to syngeneic lymphoblasts induced by various T- or B-cell mitogens. The in-vivo response was: 1. stimulated by large-size lymphoblasts; and 2. mediated by host T cells. Data excluded a direct involvement of mitogen or heterologous serum constituents in tissue culture medium in the described reaction. Experimental evidence argues against the involvement of virus components in the observed phenomenon.