These experiments describe the preparation of pure marrow-derived lymphocyte suspensions from the thoracic duct of thymectomized, irradiated rats reconstituted with bone marrow cells. The majority of marrow-derived cells were small lymphocytes morphologically indistinguishable from small lymphocytes in thoracic duct lymph of normal donors. Marrow-derived small lymphocytes (B lymphocytes) were a...

Background: T-2 mycotoxin belongs to the Trichothecene family and has damaging effects on the immune system. Objective: To investigate the toxic effect of T-2 toxin on the percentage of peripheral blood B lymphocytes and the potential protective role of selenium and vitamin E. Method: Frequencies of B lymphocytes (CD19+ ) were analyzed after injection of sublethal doses of T-2 toxin into Balb/c...

B cells utilize three DNA alteration strategies-V(D)J recombination, somatic hypermutation (SHM) and class switch recombination (CSR)-to somatically mutate their genome, thereby expressing a plethora of antibodies tailor-made against the innumerable antigens they encounter while in circulation. Of these three events, the single-strand DNA cytidine deaminase, Activation Induced cytidine Deaminas...

Although chromosome aberrations in T lymphocytes and bone marrow cells have been reported in atomic bomb survivors, the presence of chromosome abnormalities has not been demonstrated in B lymphocytes because of the technical difficulties involved in B-lymphocyte separation. A method for detecting chromosome aberrations in B lymphocytes was established by “stimulation” of B lymphocytes with Epst...

The precursors of B lymphocytes have previously been distinguished and characterized by various parameters including their ability to generate B cells after adoptive transfer, expression of surface markers a n d / o r B cell function after short-term induction in vitro, and their synthesis but not surface display o f immunoglobu l in (Ig) heavy chains (1-19). The extent to which these cells are...

Lymphocytes from normal subjects and patients with B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) show functional responses to extracellular ATP characteristic of the P2X(7) receptor (previously termed P2Z). These responses include opening of a cation-selective channel/pore that allows entry of the fluorescent dye ethidium and activation of a membrane metalloprotease that sheds the adhesion molecule L-...

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an inflammatory autoimmune disorder of the CNS that predominantly affects the spinal cord and optic nerves. A majority (approximately 75%) of patients with NMO are seropositive for autoantibodies against the astrocyte water channel aquaporin-4 (AQP4). These autoantibodies are predominantly IgG1, and considerable evidence supports their pathogenicity, presumably by ...

Hemagglutination and fluorescent antibody studies have provided strong evidence for the unavailability or absence of specific antigenic sites on membrane-bound IgM which are present in serum and intracellular IgM. Antisera specific for different parts of the molecule indicated that a portion but not all of the Fc was involved. Absorption experiments with normal and leukemic viable B lymphocytes...