PHENOTYPIC-EXPRESSION OF LYMPHOCYTES-B .2. IMMUNOGLOBULIN EXPRESSION OF GERMINAL CENTER CELLS

  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 114  (3) , 396-402
Abstract
With a sensitive and specific immunohistochemical technique, Ig expression was examined in [human] germinal centers with frozen and paraffin-embedded tissues. The majority of cells positive for surface IgM and IgD were confined to the dark zone of the germinal center while the cells positive for cytoplasmic IgM and IgG were found in the light zone. There were considerable numbers of germinal center cells without identifiable Ig. The results, in conjunction with previous in vitro and in vivo B-cell activation studies, indicate that centroblasts (noncleaved cells) are formed during early stages of B-cell differentiation. Centroblasts further mature into centrocytes (cleaved cells).