Biochemical analysis of specific histamine HI and H2 receptors on lymphocytes.

It is increasingly clear that histamine mediates a variety of lymphocyte functions. Further understanding of these mechanisms requires a method for the analysis of histamine membrane receptors on the lymphocyte surface. We report now a biochemical technique for the identification and quantitation of specific histamine H1 and H2 receptors of lymphocytes. The method can be performed on small numbers of formaldehyde-fixed cells. The data this assay yields, together with that resulting from the flow cytometric analysis of histamine receptor distribution (a technique we have previously described), will be a powerful tool in the study of histamine mediation of lymphocyte function.