Human peripheral gamma delta T cells are stimulated by Daudi Burkitt's lymphoma and not by any other Burkitt's lymphoma tested.

Daudi Burkitt's lymphoma cells have molecules on their surface which can stimulate proliferation of human gamma delta T cells, while Raji, another Burkitt's lymphoma, cannot stimulate human gamma delta T cells. Human peripheral gamma delta T cells, coexpressing the V gamma 9/V delta 2 chains of the T cell receptor, lyse Daudi cells but not Raji cells. Here, we have screened four other Burkitt's lymphoma cell lines (HH514, DG75, Ramos, and Wilson), as well as cells derived from a fresh Burkitt's lymphoma, to see if any of them can be recognized by human gamma delta T cells. Leukemia-derived lines MOLT-4, CEM, and K562 have also been included in these studies. Among the Burkitt's lymphomas tested, only Daudi, DG75, and HH514 could be lysed by V gamma 9/V delta 2+ T cell clones derived from the peripheral blood of healthy donors. These T cell clones were also able to lyse the NK sensitive leukemia lines K562 and MOLT-4. When bulk cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy donors were cultured with different Burkitt's lymphoma or leukemia cell lines, only Daudi stimulated the outgrowth of gamma delta T cells. Similarly, only Daudi cells could stimulate proliferation of gamma delta T cell clones, and the response was enhanced significantly in the presence of interleukin-2. These data and our prior observations showing the use of the V gamma 9/V delta 2 TCR type by Daudi-reactive human gamma delta T cells indicate that Daudi cells are not representative of other Burkitt's lymphoma cell lines.