DR-bearing T lymphocytes in thoracic duct lymph

T cells having DR antigens were shown to be present in high numbers in the thoracic duct lymph of patients undergoing long-term drainage. As drainage progresses the proportion of T DR cells in the lymph increases to levels as high as 70% at 6 weeks. These cells were demonstrated by showing that T cells isolated by sheep red cell rosetting were killed by the action of rabbit anti-B-cell sera and of HLA-DR antisera. The HLA-DR specificities found on the T cells corresponded with those on the patients’ B lymphocytes