title: Surface antigen changes during B-lymphocyte activation in primates.
abstract: It is shown that B-cell-specific surface antigens are conserved on lymphocytes from phylogenetically distant primate species. Characterization of the expression of those antigens on the surface of simian B lymphocytes has led to two observations with important implications for human B-cell physiology. First, lectin stimulation in vitro or antigen stimulation in situ in lymph nodes drives a population of human B lymphocytes to express the B2 but not the B1 antigen on its surface. Second, under pathologic circumstances, this activated B cell can be found in the peripheral blood of monkeys. Thus, the "B2 only" cell defines an activated B lymphocyte whose presence may provide useful diagnostic information concerning pathologic processes.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D001029:Aotus trivirgatus; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002520:Cercopithecidae; D005701:Galago; D006801:Humans; D006922:Hylobates; D007900:Lemur; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D002679:Pan troglodytes; D010802:Phylogeny; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D012452:Saguinus
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens