Abstract
Extract: Lymphocytes capable of responding to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) were present in human fetal thymus tissue by 12-week gestational age and in spleens 2–4 weeks later. In spleens, establishment of the PHA response was associated with the appearance of small lymphocytes in cuffs surrounding central arterioles.
Speculation: Onset of PHA responsiveness in lymphocytes obtained from the embryonic thymus precedes that of the spleen. It would be of particular interest to know when bone marrow cells and lymph node lymphocytes start to show this function.
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August, C., Berkel, A., Driscoll, S. et al. Onset of Lymphocyte Function in the Developing Human Fetus. Pediatr Res 5, 539–547 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197110000-00006
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197110000-00006
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