A method to generate antigen-specific suppressor T cells in vitro from peripheral blood T cells of honey bee venom-sensitive, allergic patients.

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients allergic to honey bee venom were stimulated with denatured bee venom phospholipase A2, and the antigen-activated T cells were propagated for 4 days by human IL-2 in the presence or absence of recombinant human lipocortin I. Upon antigenic stimulation with the denatured phospholipase A2 and autologous monocytes or by cross-linking of CD3 by anti-CD3 antibody, the activated T cells, which had propagated by IL-2 alone, formed N-glycosylated IgE-binding factors and glycosylation enhancing factor (GEF), while those propagated in the presence of lipocortin formed unglycosylated IgE-binding factors and glycosylation inhibiting factor (GIF). The GEF and GIF formed by the antigen- or anti-CD3-stimulated T cells had affinity for bee venom phospholipase A2 and could be purified by using anti-lipomodulin Sepharose. In the mouse lymphocyte system, the major cell source of GIF is antigen-specific suppressor T cells, and the antigen-binding GIF from the cells suppressed the in vivo antibody response in an antigen (carrier)-specific manner. In view of the findings in the mouse system, the present results may provide an immunological maneuver to generate allergen-specific suppressor T cells, and to obtain allergen-specific suppressor factor from T cell populations in the peripheral blood of allergic patients.