Reactivity to autologous non-T-cells and suppressor function of human autologous rosettes.

A subset of human peripheral blood T-cells can form rosettes with autologous erythrocytes (autologous rosettes). Fractionation of T-cells by autologous rosette centrifugation demonstrated that the autologous rosettes, but not the non-rosetting cells, have the capacity to respond with increased DNA synthesis to autologous non-T-cells in the autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) and to suppress the mitogenic response after activation with concanavalin A (Con A). Furthermore, the autologous rosettes, autologous MLR and Con A-induced suppressor activity were particularly enriched in the nylon wool non-adherent T-cells and depleted in the nylon wool adherent T-cells. These results suggest that the same or at least largely overlapping T-cell subsets are responsible for the autologous rosettes, autologous MLR and Con A-induced suppressor function.