Ultrasound does not affect human lymphocyte transformation in vitro

Abstract

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. Ultrasound, 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.