Use of OKT3 hybridoma cells to clonally activate CD3+ human T lymphocytes.

A simple and reliable method was developed to induce clonal growth of resting human T cells. In this limiting dilution (LD) culture system, responder cells (unseparated mononuclear cells, E rosette-purified T cells, or cell sorter-separated CD4+ and CD8+ subsets) were activated by irradiated anti-CD3-secreting (OKT3) hybridoma cells in the presence of exogenous IL-2 (crude culture supernatant or recombinant IL-2). Under these conditions, one out of 2-3 CD4+ and CD8+ T cells developed into a proliferating cell clone. Addition of recombinant IL-1 slightly enhanced the growth frequency and increased the clone size of CD4+ cells but did not affect the growth pattern of CD8+ cells.