Antigen differences, detected by indirect immunofluorescence, between human peripheral and thoracic duct lymphocytes, and human cultured lymphoblasts.

Rabbits were immunized with peripheral cells, thoracic duct cells and various lymphoblast cell lines. Bleedings were taken approximately 4 weeks after each injection corresponding to the primary and secondary immune response. The immunofluorescence (IMF) titre of each serum was estimated using the specific antigen cell and the cells used to raise the other sera. In general the titres were higher when the specific antigen cells were used. In absorption experiments it was found that anti-peripheral cell sera and anti-thoracic duct cell sera were readily absorbed by the specific or non-specific cells, but the anti-lymphoblast sera, although readily absorbed by the specific or other lymphoblast cells, could not be completely absorbed with peripheral and thoracic duct cells. The IMF test was, by minor modifications, adapted to allow preliminary studies to be made of the desorption of anti-human lymphocyte globulin from the lymphocytes and it is concluded from these investigations that, while peripheral cells, thoracic duct cells and cultured human lymphoblasts may contain similar and/or identical antigens, they also express similar but not identical antigens, while cultured lymphoblasts in addition possess antigens absent from peripheral and thoracic duct lymphocytes.