The short production pathway for marrow lymphocytes: Significance of the size spectrum of the lymphocyte-transitional cell compartment

J. M. Yoffey, D. Patinkin, N. B. Grover

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Abstract

Several lines of evidence indicate that lymphocyte production in bone marrow occurs via a short production pathway of two to three mitoses compared with the long production pathway of six to eight mitoses in the thymus. The present study was undertaken to ascertain whether more accurate measurements of the size spectrum of the cells in the short production pathway would throw further light on the kinetics of marrow lymphocyte production. It is now generally accepted that transitional ('lymphoid') cells are the precursors of small lymphocytes in the marrow. A detailed investigation of cell sizes in the lymphocyte-transitional cell compartment was carried out with a Coulter counter modified to permit a very rapid and accurate examination of large populations of cells in suspension, thus avoiding the errors inherent in the measurement of cell sizes in smears. Enriched populations of lymphoid cells, obtained after 10 days of rebound, following seven days of hypoxia at 0.5 atm, were further enriched by bovine albumin and Ficoll gradients to give density fractions containing mainly transitional cells of different sizes and pachychromatic small lymphocytes. Differential counts of stained smears of these fractions facilitated comparison between size distribution and specific cell types. Four distinct cell types were recognized on the basis of volume and density: small lymphocytes (volume, 53 to 59 μm3); small transitional cells (154 to 160 μm3); medium-sized transitional cells (206 to 218 μm3); and large transitional cells (350 to 400 μm3). These findings are consistent with the view that there are two or three mitoses in the course of the short production pathway for bone marrow lymphocytes.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1247-1251
Number of pages5
JournalIsrael Journal of Medical Sciences
Volume14
Issue number12
StatePublished - 1978

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