Surface receptors and immune activity of purified human circulating mononuclear cells. IV. The demonstration of seven subclasses of T cells in the circulation of the normal individual: the cytotoxic activities of these cells.

T lymphocytes were isolated from monocyte-depleted mononuclear cells of normal individuals by rosetting them with sheep erythrocytes. These purified T cells were preferentially depleted of cells with receptors for FcG (TG cells), FcM (TM cells), or C'3 (TC cells) by rosette formation with EA(G), EA(M), and EAC, respectively, before or after incubation for 24 hr in medium 199 fortified with fetal calf serum (20%). The unfractionated lymphocytes and the purified and the depleted T cells were analyzed for receptors to FcG, FcM, and C'3 and for cytotoxic activity in the natural killer (NK), antibody dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC), and mitogen-induced cell-mediated cytotoxicity (MICC) assays. The TG and TC cells were detected among the freshly isolated T cells, whereas the TM cells were detected only following 24 hr of incubation. Removal of TC cells from the 24-hr-cultured T cells resulted in removal of all the TC cells and in the concomitant removal of the majority of TM cells. Similarly, removal of TM cells from the 24-hr-cultured T cells resulted in the elimination of all TM cells as well as the majority of TC cells. These results demonstrate the in vitro generation of T cells with receptors for both FcM and C'3 (TM+C cells). Ten percent of the freshly isolated TG cells possessed detectable receptors for C'3 and/or FcM. These cells constitute the TG+C and TG+M lymphocytes. Support for consideration of these receptor-bearing cells as unique and stable cells is provided by the finding that TM and TC cells maintained in culture for up to 72 hr do not generate other receptors but retain the single receptor which characterizes each of these cells. Only a small percentage of cultured TG cells generate receptors for C'3 and FcM. It may therefore be concluded that the TG, TM, and TC cells are stable unireceptor-bearing cells. The TG, TM, TC, TG+C, TG+M, and TM+C lymphocytes account for approximately 50% of the circulating lymphocytes. Whether the remaining cells, the T null or TN cells, constitute the precursors for any or all of the receptor-bearing T cells remains to be determined. Unfractionated freshly isolated T cells were highly cytotoxic in the NK and PWM-mediated MICC assays but were relatively inactive in the ADCC, naturally occurring cell-mediated cytotoxicity (NOCC), and PHA- and Con-A-mediated MICC assays.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)