Tuberculin response of lymphocytes from human skin test nonreactors; evidence for in vitro primary sensitization of T lymphocytes

Jerrold J. Ellner, Bernice Z. Schacter, Felicia T. Bhe

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Tuberculin-purified protein derivative (PPD) is a B-lymphocyte mitogen in a variety of experimental animals. Although peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PB MNC) from healthy human tuberculin responders consistently responded to PPD by increased incorporation of [3H]thymidine, cell fractionation studies showed this to be due to T-lymphocyte rather than B-cell blastogenesis. Moreover, utilizing thymidine suicide experiments, the T-lymphocyte response could be categorized as antigenic rather than nonspecific mitogenic reactivity. Kinetic studies revealed a delayed peak of PPD-induced thymidine incorporation in PB MNC from tuberculin skin test-negative as compared to skin test-positive donors. This suggested in vitro primary sensitization of T lymphocytes to PPD, which was corroborated in experiments demonstrating tuberculin reactivity of human umbilical-cord blood lymphocytes.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)213-220
Number of pages8
JournalCellular Immunology
Volume45
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1979
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Cell Biology
  • Immunology

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