Differential proliferative responses in subsets of human CD28+ cells delineated by BB27 mAb.

We report the identification of a novel 140 kDa disulfide-linked dimer expressed by a subset of peripheral blood T lymphocytes. This molecule, which is recognized by mAb BB27, is also detected on cells of the myelomonocytic lineage. In the T cell lineage, its expression is positively modulated after lymphocyte activation. A series of double-labeling experiments revealed that BB27 mAb identifies new CD4 and CD8 cell subsets different from those defined by CD45RA, CD45RO, CD26, CD29, CD31, and CD38. Finally, BB27 mAb also subdivides the CD28 subset. Of the utmost interest is the finding that a proliferative response to CD28 mAb and phorbol myristate acetate stimulation is exclusively obtained in the CD28+BB27+ cell subset, whereas the CD28+BB27- subset fails to proliferate.