USE OF CRYOPRESERVED LYMPHOCYTES FOR LONGITUDINAL-STUDIES OF IMMUNE FUNCTION AND ENUMERATION OF SUBPOPULATIONS

  • 1 January 1976
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 25  (3) , 449-454
Abstract
The responses of fresh and frozen [human] lymphocytes to mitogens and antigens [purified protein derivative, Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli] were compared using samples collected on 5 separate occasions from 1 normal donor. The day-to-day variation seen with the fresh cells was eliminated by the use of frozen cells. Thawed cells from 1 donor collected on 1 occasion, but studied on 5 separate occasions and compared to fresh cells on the same days, showed fluctuations from day to day as well, confirming that the day-to-day variation seen is due to technical and not biological phenomena. Cryopreserved cells showed a decrease in responses to specific microbial antigens, a slight shift in the PHA [phytohemagglutinin] dose-response curve, but no significant difference in responses to Con A (concanavalin A] or PWM [pokeweed mitogen]. The relative proportion of lymphocyte subpopulations changed with freezing and thawing. The proportion of T [thymus-derived] cells increased slightly and the proportion of B [bone marrow-derived] cells decreased.