Characterization of immunological memory cells. A minireview.

This paper reviews the information concerning immunological memory T and B cells. It shows that the existence of different or a single lineage of memory and naive cells is still a question. The recirculation pattern of memory cells is different from naive cells. A unique recirculation for memory T or B cells is suggested while the bcl2 gene expression possibly plays role in the longevity of memory cells. Various phenotypic markers are demonstrated only on memory or on naive cells; however, a reliable and convenient method for the detection of memory cells still needs to be explored.