Deficient responsiveness of ovine popliteal peripheral lymphocytes.

Following lymphadenectomy, popliteal peripheral leucocytes present in afferent lymphatics draining the skin can be obtained relatively free of contaminating cells derived from blood and central lymph in contrast to prescapular and hepatic peripheral lymph which contain contaminating cells. Popliteal peripheral lymphocytes comprise a population of long-lived dividing cells that are deficient responders in mixed lymphocyte cultures (MLC) but elicit strong responses following stimulation with phorbol myristate acetate plus ionomycin or concanavalin A. Deficient responsiveness persisted when popliteal peripheral lymphocytes were cultured for 3 weeks prior to setting up MLC. The in vitro results correlate with in vivo results from normal lymphocyte transfer reactions and indicate that peripheral lymphocytes may comprise a population deficient in T-cell receptors mediating allogeneic stimulation.