12.2K: Tests That Differentiate Between T Cells and B cells
- Page ID
- 11833
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Methods used to differentiate T cells and B cells include staining cell surface receptors and functional assays like the T lymphocyte cytotoxicity assay.
- Describe how T cells and B cells can be differentiated using staining of cell surface receptors and functional assays like the T lymphocyte cytotoxicity assay
Key Points
- There are two types of lymphocytes: B cells and T cells. These two components of the immune system have different functions but cooperate to fight infection.
- T cells elicit cell-mediated immune response, while B cells elicit humoral immunity.
- Lymphocytes are the only immunologically specific cellular components of the immune system.
Key Terms
- cytotoxic: of, relating to, or being a cytotoxin
Lymphocytes are the only immunologically specific cellular components of the immune system. They are divided into two types based on the pathogen recognition receptors they express on their surface. T cells or T lymphocytes belong to a group of white blood cells known as lymphocytes. They are called T cells because they mature in the thymus. They play a central role in cell-mediated immunity along with initiating rejection of foreign tissues following organ transplantation. B-cells are also white blood cells and are a vital part of the humoral immunity branch of the adaptive immune system. These two cell types can function independently or cooperatively to defend the body against pathogens. T-lymphocytes can be distinguished from other lymphocytes like B cells and natural killer cells (NK cells) by the presence of a T cell receptor (TCR) on the cell surface. Alternatively, B-cells can be distinguished from other lymphocytes like T cells and natural killer cells (NK cells) by the presence of a protein on the B-cell’s outer surface called a B-cell receptor (BCR).
Traditionally, T-lymphocytes were defined by their ability to form E-rosettes when they bind selectively to sheep erythrocytes. T-lymphocytes express CD3, CD4, CD8, or CD25 markers. B-lymphocytes express CD19 marker. The expression of different markers allows the separation/ differentiation of T and B cells. Another functional assay used to identify T-lymphocyte is the cytotoxic activity assay. This assay is based on measuring the killing ability that a determined number of T lymphocytes have for a certain number of target cells when both populations are placed together. B-lymphocytes have membrane-bound immunoglobulins that can be stained with anti-immunoglobulin labeled with fluorescent dyes and detected with a fluorescent microscope. More modern techniques like flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry are commonly used and rely on the use of fluorescent antibodies. These techniques are based on staining B and T cells for unique cell surface markers known as cluster of differentiation (CD).