DNA repair synthesis in subpopulations of human lymphocytes

Human peripheral blood lymphocytes enriched in T or B cells were exposed to ultraviolet irradiation, nitrogen mustard or methylmethane sulphonate and investigated regarding their capacity for DNA repair synthesis. The DNA repair synthesis, measured as [3H] thymidine incorporated, was determined by autoradiography as unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS). No systematic difference could be found in the capacity for UDS between the T- and B-cell-enriched fractions. A larger individual variation in UDS was found in the B-cell- compared to the T-cell-enriched lymphocytes.