Peripheral blood lymphocytes are able to maintain their viability and basic function in normal urine.

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Immunology
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) can infiltrate renal and urinary tracts and be excreted in urine.
• Understanding PBMC behavior in urine is crucial for diagnostic and research applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the viability of human PBMCs in normal urine.
• To assess the functional response of PBMCs in urine to phytohemagglutinin-A (PHA).

Main Methods:

• PBMCs were incubated in normal urine, urea (negative control), and RPMI-1640+FBS (positive control).
• Cell viability was measured using trypan blue dye exclusion assay at 20, 60, and 120 minutes.
• PBMC response to PHA was assessed via MTT assay after 96-hour culture in urine.

Main Results:

• PBMC viability in urine was comparable to the positive control throughout the 120-minute incubation period.
• A significant difference in viability trends was observed across the tested conditions (p<0.05).
• PBMCs cultured in urine responded to PHA for up to 60 minutes.

Conclusions:

• Human PBMCs exhibit remarkable viability in normal urine for extended periods.
• PBMCs retain functional responsiveness to mitogens like PHA when incubated in urine.
• These findings suggest the potential for developing urine-based cell culture techniques for diagnostic purposes.