Regulation of normal myelopoiesis and chronic myelogenous leukaemia cell proliferation through a non-cytotoxic mechanism by a gamma/delta T cell clone.

Regulatory effects on myelopoiesis and myelogenous leukaemia cell proliferation mediated by a human T cell clone (TCC) carrying a gamma/delta receptor have been studied. MHC-unrestricted cytotoxicity could be induced in this clone by culture with IL-2 but not IL-4. Increasing concentrations of IL-2 resulted in increased lysis of natural killer (NK)-susceptible target cells but lysis of NK-resistant targets could not be induced. Moreover, cytotoxicity on fresh chronic myeloid leukaemia cells was not measurable even after culture with 1000 U/ml IL-2. However, NK-resistant targets could be lysed when anti-receptor antibodies (OKT3 or TCR-delta 1) were added to the assay. Clone 290-2 cells secreted lymphokines potentially inhibitory for myelopoiesis (TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma), and their supernatants could inhibit optimally stimulated granulocyte/macrophage colony formation by normal bone marrow. Moreover, 290-2 cells prevented the consistently observed IL-3-stimulated enhancement of proliferation of CML cells, although even IL-3-pretreated leukaemic cells were still resistant to lysis by this clone. Thus, cells of this type, even when not directly cytolytic, could have a role in the regulation of myeloid cell growth.