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Clinical and Experimental Immunology logoLink to Clinical and Experimental Immunology
. 1975 Sep;21(3):442–455.

Immunological responsiveness of frozen-thawed human lymphocytes.

D M Strong, J N Woody, M A Factor, A Ahmed, K W Sell
PMCID: PMC1538319  PMID: 128429

Abstract

Mononuclear cells (10--20 X 10(6)) obtained from human peripheral blood by a standard Ficoll-Hypaque technique were suspended in RPMI 1640 media at 4 degrees C containing 10% foetal calf serum and 7-5% dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO). Two-millilitre aliquots were cooled at -1 degree C/min in a Cryoson BV-4 programmed freezing system to -30 degrees C, then -5 degrees C/min to -80 degrees C and stored in liquid nitrogen vapor. On the day of testing, cell suspensions were thawed rapidly in a 37 degree C water bath. DMSO was diluted slowly out of the sample and cells resuspended in fresh RPMI 1640. It was found that frozen stored human lymphocytes (FSHL) demonstrated all the characteristics of fresh unfrozen cells. These included their ability to form spontaneous rosettes with sheep erythrocytes ('E' rosettes) and sheep erythrocyte--antibody--complement rosettes ('EAC' rosettes). The presence of surface immunoglobulins and Fc receptors were shown by membrane immunofluorescence to be comparable. In addition, the results show that FSHL respond to mitogens, specific antigens; act as both stimulators and responders in the mixed lymphocyte culture reaction; and exhibit cell-mediated lymphocytotoxicity following in vitro sensitization, or against antibody-coated target cells.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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