Cell interactions in the suppression of in vitro antibody responses.

Normal T and immune B lymphocytes interact in a fashion that leads to suppression of the immune response. Normal spleen cells added to cultures of primed spleen cells specifically suppressed both the IgM and IgG secondary antibody response of the primed cells to less than 30% of the response of the immune cells cultured alone. Cell crowding as a possible in vitro artifact was ruled out. The suppression was specific for the priming antigen, even when the specific and nonspecific antigens were included in the same cultures. Suppression required both normal T and immune B cells to be present in culture. We suggest that the immune population produces a signal that can induce normal T cells to become specific suppressor cells. This form of interaction may represent an important regulatory (homeostatic) mechanism in the immune system.