Assessment of the B-lymphocyte population in agammaglobulinemia

The population of B lymphocytes was assessed in the blood of 16 patients with agammaglobulinemia using immunofluorescence and EAC1423 reactivity as B-cell markers. Lymphocytes were fractionated on gradients of bovine serum albumin which are capable of separating lymphocytes into B-cell-rich and T-cell-rich populations. There was complete absence of B lymphocytes in the majority of patients with X-linked agammaglobulinemia. Normal or increased numbers of B lymphocytes were found in all patients with common variable agammaglobulinemia.