The carrier effect in the secondary response to hapten‐protein conjugates. III. The anatomical distribution of helper cells and antibody‐forming‐cell‐precursors

Abstract

Abstract The activity of cells from blood, peritoneal exudate, thoracic duct lymph, lymph nodes and spleen were tested in the adoptive secondary response of mice to hapten‐protein conjugates. No correlation of helper or antibody‐forming‐cell‐precursor activity was found with the number of macrophages. Thoracic duct lymphocytes tended to be relatively more active than spleen cells as helpers. These findings are interpreted as support for the hypothesis that helper cells are thymus‐derived, recirculating lymphocytes.