[Biological properties of immunocompetent cells].

Inflammation is characterized by the combined reaction of living tissue of the target organ and various types of white blood cells recruited from the circulation and platelets, which tend to eliminate the injurious agent and to repair the damaged tissue. Much of the current knowledge of the functions and characteristics of human white blood cells has been derived from studies of lymphoid cells from patients with various diseases. The results of recent studies (17, 19, 28) have pointed to the diagnostic importance of the immunocompetent cells. The various characteristics of cells involved in immune mediated reactions of various organs and in circulation in man may lead to a better understanding of immune reactions and finally to effective therapeutic modalities.