Establishment of different T cell sublines using either interleukin 2 or interleukin 4 as growth factors

Purified protein derivative reactive T cell lines were established under identical conditions with the exception that different lymphokines, namely interleukin (IL) 2 and IL 4 were employed as growth factors. IL 2 favored the development of T cell lines (LNC.2) which upon activation by concanavalin A (Con A) secreted predominantly lymphokines characteristic of TH1 cells. By contrast, T cell lines established with the aid of IL 4 as growth factor (LNC.4) produced mainly lymphokines representative of TH2 cells. Apart from their pattern of lymphokine secretion LNC.2 and LNC.4 T cells were found to differ in their proliferative response to lymphokines and Con A. LNC.2 T cells proliferated only …