A characterization of human tonsillar lymphocytes after separation from other tonsillar cells in an isokinetic gradient of ficoll in tissue culture medium.

Purified human tonsillar lymphocytes responded less to mitogentic stimulation than did unseparated tonsillar cells. Their response to mitogens was restored when they were combined with cells from all other gradient fractions. We interpret our data as evidence that the majority of tonsillar lymphocytes require the presence of more rapidly sedimenting cells for a maximum response to the tested mitogens. The purified tonsillar lymphoyctes were 47.0% lymphocytes that have detectable surface immunoglobulin and 29.9% lumphocytes that form rosettes with sheep red blood cells. The predominant cell surface immunoglobulin was IgM. Digestion of the tonsil with trypsin yielded tenfold more plasma cells, more vialbe cells, and a larger proportion of blasts, histiocytes, and binucleated cells than were obtained by mechanical dissociation of the tissue.