Kinetics of immunoglobulin production by cultured human peripheral blood lymphocytes

A study of immunoglobulin synthesis by human peripheral blood lymphocytes cultured in Marbrook flasks is described. Maximal amounts of immunoglobulin were produced by 3 weeks and most of this was synthesised between 6 and 21 days. In the region of 90% of the immunoglobulin was secreted into the medium. Pokeweed mitogen (PWM) stimulated cultures produced about 10 times as much immunoglobulin as cells cultured in medium only. After 21 days stimulated cultures produced about 150 microgram of IgG, 125 microgram of IgM and 50 microgram of IgA per 10(7) cells.