The lymphocyte transformation test has been used in testing the effect of ultrasound on human lymphocytes. The test utilizes the mitogenic lectins, phytohemagglutinin, concanavalin A, and pokeweed mitogen to stimulate the incorporation of 3H-thymidine into resting lymphocytes after several days in culture. U1trasound, which is increasingly used in diagnostic radiology, has been reported as an immunosuppressive agent in mice. Lymphocyte transformation has been used clinically as a test measuring the effectiveness of immunoenhancing and immunosuppressive therapies. The experiments reported here do not demonstrate an immunosuppressive role for ultrasound on human lymphocytes. Indexing Words: Lymphocytes
This study was motivated by the report of Anderson and Barrett,' who reported that low energy ultrasound exerted an immunosuppressive effect on immunoglobulin synthesis in mice. The lymphocyte transformation test, using mitogens such as phytohemagglutinin (PHA), concanavalin A (Con A), and pokeweed mitogen (PWM) has been used in clinical immunology for the assessment of cell-mediated immunity. These tests have also shown usefulness in monitoring immunoenhancing and immunosuppressive therapies.2 In view of the increasing applications of low energy ultrasound in diagnostic radiology, we have examined the effect of ultrasound on isolated human lymphocytes by using the lymphocyte transformation assay. In these experiments, no immunosuppressive effect of ultrasound could be demonstrated.
Methods
Lymphocytes were isolated from the buffy coats of six healthy adult donors by sedimentation on Fi~oll-Hypaque.~ The culture medium used was RPMI 1640 supplemented with 10% human AB serum.