Immunologic functions of isolated human lymphocyte subpopulations. I. Quantitative isolation of human T and B cells and response to mitogens.

Abstract

A Sephadex G-200 immunoabsorbent column bound with pure rabbit antihuman Fab was used to fractionate human peripheral lymphocytes. Two distinct populations of cells were quantitatively recovered. The cells passing directly through the column without binding were T cells, as judged by both immunofluorescent and E rosetting properties. On the other hand, the retained cells which could be specifically and quantitatively eluted with human Ig were τ;97% B cells, as judged by the fluorescence and rosetting criteria. Both T and B cells incorporated 3 H-thymidine significantly in response to phytohemagglutinin, concanavalin A, and pokeweed mitogen, while neither population proliferated in response to endotoxin or antihuman Fab. The blast cells induced by mitogen in T or B cell cultures retained their cell surface characteristics. T cell blasts were devoid of surface Ig while τ;90% B cell blasts had Ig on their cell surface.