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Mineral Deficiency Effects on the Generation of Cytotoxic T-Cells and T-Helper Cell Factors in Vitro^1,2,

Immunology Department, Research Division, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44106

Generation of cytotoxic T-cell response of splenocytes was studied in vitro under copper, magnesium and zinc-deficient conditions. Viability of the short-term lymphocyte cultures in the deficient media was comparable with control condition viability. Cell mediated lympholysis (CML) was analyzed in an alloantigen-stimulated mixed lymphocyte culture (Balb/c versus CBA/H mice) using a ⁵¹Cr release assay. Lymphocytes cultured in copper and magnesium-deficient media failed to generate specific lysis to allogeneic target cells, whereas lymphocytes cultured in zinc-deficient media did generate T-killer cell activity at reduced levels. In examining the site of mineral deficiency effects, the actions of T-helper cell-produced factors was studied. There was no production of T-cell replacing factor (TRF) in any of the elementally deficient media by cultured splenocytes. The addition of TRF produced under normal control conditions to copper-deficient media completely restored the CML, whereas only a partial restoration of the CML was noted for the magnesium and zinc-deficient cells. The defect in the CML in the copper-deficient media appears to be focused on the T-helper cell, but magnesium and zinc deficiency effects appear to also be at other levels of cell differentiation and proliferation in the generation of CML.

KEY WORDS: • Copper • magnesium • T-cell response • zinc

¹ This work was supported in part by a grant from the American Cancer Society.

² Presented in part at the 9th ICN-UCLA Symposia, "Control of Cellular Division and Development," March 1980, Keystone, CO.

Manuscript received 23 September 1980.