Demonstration of major histocompatibility complex restriction in man using an antigen-specific proliferating T cell clone.

An antigen-specific, proliferating T cell clone was obtained by soft agar cloning from peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes (PBML) of a normal human volunteer immunized with keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH). In addition to antigen, presenting cells from donors histocompatible at the HLA-D locus were required to stimulate a proliferative response by this clone. Although the donor of the T cell clone was heterozygous at the HLA-D locus (DRw2/6Y), only PBML from the one parent and random donors possessing DRw2 would support a proliferative response to KLH. PBML from the DRw6Y-bearing parent and other DRw6Y-bearing random donors would not present KLH. This result demonstrates unequivocally that the phenomenon of major histocompatibility complex-restricted antigen recognition by T lymphocytes is operative in man.