T cell lines established from multiple sclerosis cerebrospinal fluid T cells using human retroviruses

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) lymphocytes from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) were transformed with human T cell leukemia/lymphoma virus (HTLV I and HTLV II) and the resulting cell lines characterized by cell surface phenotyping and functional assessment. The lines were predominantly of the CD4 helper/induce phenotype although the HTLV II lines contained 10–20% CD8+ cells. The lines appeared to be activated cells; the majority were TA1+, HLA-DR+, and TAC+ (CD25+). Interestingly, they were OKT10− (CD38−). Functionally, the lines contained no natural killer (NK) activity and were modestly cytotoxic in the antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) assay. They were poor proliferative responders to antigens and mitogens though the HTLV II lines did respond to interleukin 2 (IL2). The HTLV I lines were either nonresponsive to or were suppressed by IL2. Early passages of two of the lines produced IL2 but this was lost as the cells were passed in culture. The cell lines were capable of either directly or indirectly suppressing pokeweed mitogen (PWM)-driven immunoglobulin production by normal B cells. In addition, the lines were capable of producing γ-interferon (IFN-γ), lymphotoxin (LT), an interleukin 1 (IL1)-like factor, glial growth promoting factor (GGPF), and IL6. The advantage of these lines over clones or cell lines developed using other techniques is their growth in the absence of feeder layers or IL2 and their ability to be cloned and to grow in culture indefinitely.