Gallo R C
Blood Cells. 1981;7(2):313-29.
A system for routine long-term growth of human mature T-lymphocytes in liquid suspension culture was developed in our laboratory about 5 years ago. This system involves the continuous use of a factor, termed T-cell growth factor (TCGF) for the propagation of T-lymphocytes previously activated by lectin (PHA or Con A) or by antigen. Normal human T cells do not respond to TCGF unless they are first activated to become blast cells by antigen or lectin, presumably because they do not contain TCGF receptors until activated. We think then that TCGF is the physiological growth promoter in the immune response of T-lymphocytes, acting as the second signal (after antigen) in the immune response. These T cells show functional features, e.g., cytotoxic or helper function and other evidence of maturity. By using purified TCGF free of PHA and of lymphokines other than TCGF, we have recently been able to grow routinely neoplastic T cells from patients with leukemias and lymphomas of mature T cells, e.g., from patients with the Sezary syndrome and those with mycosis fungoides (cutaneous T-cell leukemias and lymphomas). Of considerable interest, the neoplastic T cells respond directly to TCGF; unlike normal T Cells they do not require prior in vitro activation with antigen or lectin. This indicates that transformed mature T cells already express TCGF receptors. This may be an important functional difference between normal and transformed human T cells. From some of these new cell lines we have recently isolated a new class of RNA tumor viruses (retroviruses), which we call HTLV. For several reasons we believe these are the first unambiguous isolates of RNA tumor viruses from humans. For instances, we now have data that these new viruses are easily distinguishable from all previously isolated viruses from animals. In addition, we have found antibodies in sera of some patients with these diseases specifically reactive with proteins of these viruses.
大约5年前，我们实验室开发了一种用于人类成熟T淋巴细胞在液体悬浮培养中进行常规长期生长的系统。该系统涉及持续使用一种称为T细胞生长因子（TCGF）的因子，用于增殖先前被凝集素（PHA或Con A）或抗原激活的T淋巴细胞。正常人T细胞对TCGF无反应，除非它们首先被抗原或凝集素激活成为母细胞，推测这是因为它们在被激活之前不含有TCGF受体。我们认为TCGF是T淋巴细胞免疫反应中的生理性生长促进剂，在免疫反应中作为（抗原之后的）第二个信号。这些T细胞表现出功能特征，例如细胞毒性或辅助功能以及其他成熟的证据。通过使用不含PHA和除TCGF之外的其他淋巴因子的纯化TCGF，我们最近能够常规培养来自成熟T细胞白血病和淋巴瘤患者的肿瘤性T细胞，例如来自Sezary综合征患者和蕈样肉芽肿（皮肤T细胞白血病和淋巴瘤）患者的肿瘤性T细胞。相当有趣的是，肿瘤性T细胞直接对TCGF作出反应；与正常T细胞不同，它们不需要事先在体外被抗原或凝集素激活。这表明转化的成熟T细胞已经表达TCGF受体。这可能是正常和转化的人类T细胞之间的一个重要功能差异。最近我们从其中一些新细胞系中分离出了一类新的RNA肿瘤病毒（逆转录病毒），我们称之为HTLV。出于几个原因，我们认为这些是首次明确从人类分离出的RNA肿瘤病毒。例如，我们现在有数据表明这些新病毒很容易与所有先前从动物分离出的病毒区分开来。此外，我们在一些患有这些疾病的患者血清中发现了与这些病毒蛋白特异性反应的抗体。
