Cellular bases of the production of and response to interleukin-2 in man: role of autologous rosette-forming T-cell subsets defined with monoclonal antibodies.

In this paper we present experiments that indicate that, in man, most T-cell subpopulations produce interleukin-2 (IL-2), but that the main cell subpopulation which produces it, both upon activation with phytohaemagglutinin or in autologous mixed lymphocyte cultures, is that of autologous rosette-forming (Tar) T4+ T cells. Conversely, the main IL-2-responding T-cell subpopulation is that composed of T cells depleted of Tar (T-Tar) that are T8+. IL-2 was also found to be more effectively produced by Tar cells that do not bind peanut agglutinin (PNA) than by those that do. The PNA-T4+Tar cells were also found to respond best to interleukin-1 (IL-1).