Abstract
A WIDELY accepted, but unproven, distinction between human T (thymus-derived) and B (non-thymus-derived) lymphocytes is their differential response to mitogenic stimulation with phytohaemagglutinin (PHA). It has been claimed that such a distinction does not truly exist and that the human B cell, unlike the murine B cell, transforms in the presence of PHA1. An editorial2 commenting on the consequences of this claim appropriately emphasised the danger of extrapolating data from one species to another. This communication presents evidence that pure populations of human B cells do not transform in response to stimulation with PHA. It also stresses the need of reducing the contamination of B cell preparations by T cells when studying the in vitro behaviour of the human B lymphocytes.
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GEHA, R., ROSEN, F. & MERLER, E. Unresponsiveness of human B lymphocytes to phytohaemagglutinin. Nature 248, 426–428 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/248426a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/248426a0
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