Immunologic activity of human lymph cells in the blast transformation reaction

The immunologic activity of lymph cells obtained in the course of therapeutic drainage of the thoracic duct was studied in 14 patients with subhepatic jaundice of varied genesis. The blast transformation of lymphocytes reaction showed that lymphocytes from lymph are capable of blast formation when exposed to the action of phytohemagglutinin, antilymphocytic γ-globulin, and certain bacterial antigens. The highest intensity of the reaction was found in cultures of lymph lymphocytes taken for these purposes on the 2nd–3rd days after the beginning of lymph drainage. In the course of lymphorrhea the ability of stimulated lymph cells to undergo blast formation is reduced. In the period of lymph drainage, no blast formation takes place in stimulated cultures of patients' blood cells. The majority of antigen-sensitive lymphocytes is thus in a reserve state in the lymphoid tissue of the body.