Characterization of the response of human thymocytes and blood lymphocytes to the synergistic mitogenicity of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-ionomycin

The combination of the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and the calcium ionophore ionomycin is synergistically mitogenic for human fetal and infant thymocytes as well as peripheral blood lymphocytes. Optimal mitogenic stimulation is achieved when TPA and ionomycin are used at doses of 0.5-1 ng/ml and 0.5-1 microgram/ml, respectively. Phenotypic analysis and cell sorting show that the thymocytes responsive to the mitogen have a mature or medullary phenotype (T1+, T3+, T11+, T6-, HLA-A,B++, [TdT]-); similarly in blood the T cell subsets (T11+, T4+ and T11+, T8+) are selectively responsive to TPA-ionomycin. Both activated lymphocytes and thymocytes express HLA-DR antigens as well as activation antigens such as T9, T10 and T cell activation antigen. T cells activated by TPA-ionomycin can be grown for periods of up to 50 days without addition of exogeneous interleukin 2. The observations may have implications for the membrane-associated signals involved in T cell growth and proliferation.