Murine interstitial nephritis: VII. Suppression of renal injury after treatment with soluble suppressor factor TsF₁

We prepared soluble suppressor T cell factor (TsF₁) from donor spleens harvested from mice primed with tubular antigen-derivatized lymphocytes to analyze both its functional interactions with a larger suppressor T cell network and its influence on the nephritogenic effector T cell response producing interstitial nephritis to a parenchymal antigen. Our findings indicate that TsF₁ is antigen-specific, genetically restricted by I-J in its direct mediation of suppression, and capable of inhibiting the development of interstitial lesions. TsF₁ also provides an inducing signal for the activation of effector Ts-2 suppressors following presentation by accessory cells. The induction of a Ts-2 effect, however, requires that the factor-presenting cell and the recipient of such cells share homology at I-J, and that the TsF₁, the precursor Ts-2 cells, and the recipient of the Ts-2 effect share the same Igh-V allotype. Finally, the results of this current report clearly demonstrate a possible therapeutic role for soluble suppressor factors in the management of interstitial renal disease.