Human Peripheral γδ T Cells Are Stimulated by Daudi Burkittʹs Lymphoma and Not by Any Other Burkittʹs Lymphoma Tested

Daudi Burkittʹs lymphoma cells have molecules on their surface which can stimulate proliferation of human γδ T cells, while Raji, another Burkittʹs lymphoma, cannot stimulate human γδ T cells. Human peripheral γδ T cells, coexpressing the Vγ9/Vδ2 chains of the T cell receptor, lyse Daudi cells but not Raji cells. Here, we have screened four other Burkittʹs lymphoma cell lines (HH514, DG75, Ramos, and Wilson), as well as cells derived from a fresh Burkittʹs lymphoma, to see if any of them can be recognized by human γδ T cells. Leukemia-derived lines MOLT-4, CEM, and K562 have also been included in these studies. Among the Burkittʹs lymphomas tested, only Daudi, DG75, and HH514 could be lysed by Vγ9/Vδ2+ 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 hulk cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy donors were cultured with different Burkittʹs lymphoma or leukemia cell lines, only Daudi stimulated the outgrowth of γδ T cells. Similarly, only Daudi cells could stimulate proliferation of γδ 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 Vγ9/Vδ2 TCR type by Daudi-reactive human γδ T cells indicate that Daudi cells are not representative of other Burkittʹs lymphoma cell lines.