Activated T cells in the synovial fluid of arthritic patients: characterization and comparison with in vitro activated human and murine T cells in cooperation with monocytes in cytotoxicity
Galili, U.; Rosenthal, L.; Galili, N.; Klein, E.
Journal of Immunology 122(3): 878-883
1979
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-1767 PMID: 312826 Document Number: 152623
Lymphocytes were separated from the synovial fluid of 34 arthritic patients. The majority of lymphocytes rosetted with SRBC and were thus of T origin. A proportion of these cells were activated as indicated by their high 3H-thymidine incorporation in vitro, the formation of "stable" E rosettes, and their ability to attach to autologous monocytes and to human cells. Such attached activated T cells enhanced the cytotoxic activity of monocytes. Human and murine-activated T cells generated in mixed lymphocyte cultures also attached to cell lines of the same species, and after their attachment they enhanced the cytotoxic activity of monocytes and natural killer cells. It is suggested that one of the possible roles of activated T cells in immunologically damaged tissues is the attraction of circulating nonspecific killer cells to the site of the response.