HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Okumura, K. Articles by Kern, M. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Okumura, K. Articles by Kern, M.

Differentiation of Lymphoid Cells: Enhancement of the Induction of Immunoglobulin Production by Thymus Cells and a Product Secreted by Thymus Cells

From the National Institute of Arthritis, Metabolism and Digestive Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20014

Abstract

The induction of immunoglobulin M production, as a consequence of the incubation of rabbit spleen cells for 72 hr in cell culture in the absence of added antigen, was markedly enhanced when thymus cells were cultured along with spleen cells. In contrast, immunoglobulin production by lymph node cells was only slightly stimulated by the presence of thymus cells during culture. Immunoglobulin production by spleen cells was equally enhanced, regardless of whether the thymus cells were derived from unimmunized animals or from animals immunized with a dinitrophenyl-antigen. Thymus cells added to cultures of spleen cells at 48 hr were still markedly stimulatory even though the induction process in the absence of thymus cells appears to be largely complete at 48 hr. Ficoll density gradient separation of spleen cells revealed some fractions that were slightly enhanced and others that were markedly enhanced by thymus cells. Finally, a cellfree mediator secreted into the culture medium by thymus cells also enhanced immunoglobulin production to about the same extent as thymus cells.