Distribution of heavy-chain variable-region (Vh) subgroups on human lymphocytes

Lymphocytes from 20 normal blood donors were stained with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated anti--F(ab')2, anti-VHI, anti-VHII, and anti-VHIII subgroup antisera. The means of the percentages of staining were 2.9%, 5.0% and 5.5% for the VHI, VHII, VHIII subgroups, respectively. The sum of the percentages of the lymphocytes stained with each of the VH subgroup-specific antisera corresponded well with the percentages of lymphocytes stained with an anti-F(ab')2 antiserum. In addition, it was shown by double immunofluorescence staining and in various depletion experiments and tests with thymocytes and lymphocytes from patients with hypogammaglobulinemia that the cells staining with anti-Vh antisera corresponded to the membrane Ig-positive cells--that is, the B-lymphocyte population.