Studies of Lymphocyte Kinetics in Man

Studies of certain aspects of lymphocyte kinetics were performed in nine patients with malignancies but who were hematologically normal.

Following the administration of tritiated thymidine, well-labeled large lymphocytes appeared very promptly in thoracic duct lymph along with some lightly labeled small lymphocytes. Specific activity was higher in the thoracic duct lymph lymphocytes as compared to the peripheral blood leukocytes for at least the first 50 hours.

When male patients were transfused with thoracic duct lymphocyte obtained from female donors, lymphocytes with a female karyotype were observed as early as 10 hours in the thoracic duct lymph and as early as one hour in the peripheral blood.

The evidence presented in these studies confirms data previously obtained only in animal experiments and indicates that homologous lymphocytes may circulate as long as 9 days in appropriate recipients.