Immunoglobulin production by cultured human lymphocytes

The synthesis and secretion of immunoglobulin induced in cultured B-lineage cells is of interest for several reasons: (i) analysing the B-cell repertoire, (ii) recall of immunological activity retained in the circulating lymphocyte population, and (iii) study of factors needed for clonal expansion, immunoglobulin class switching, IgV-region mutation and maturation of cells to Ig secretion. Methods available are outlined and alternative procedures for cell separation and purification, helper cell provision and Ab/Ig assay systems are discussed. The aim is to provide practical guidance for those who intend to begin work in what is a vitally important, but experimentally difficult, area. There are a bewildering number of methods described in innumerable publications, old and new. The review provides a personal assessment of the present state of knowledge and prospects for improvements when all the new observations relating to cell-cell interactions and cytokines are integrated into existing technologies. The survey is chiefly concerned with physiologically based procedures, but artificial auxiliary methods are also briefly mentioned.