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Children's Cincinnati, Mitogen Stimulation
MessageCollect at NMCP only Mon-Thursday by 1200
Test Code
NMCP031
Preferred Specimen
10ml Sodium Heparin whole blood (green top)
Minimum Volume
5 ml Sodium Heparin
Instructions
Samples should be sent as whole blood at room temperature and received in our laboratory within 24 hours of being drawn. Testing is not performed on weekends and holidays.
Transport Temperature
ambient
Setup Schedule
Monday – Friday 8:00am – 5:30pm (EST)
Clinical Significance
The complex cascade of events that comprise the cellular portion of the immune response include the proliferation of lymphocytes in response to upstream events (activation, Ca++ flux, etc.). This assay tests the capacity of lymphocytes to proliferate in response to exposure to mitosis-inducing agents (mitogens). Specifically, peripheral blood mononuclear cells are exposed to phytohemagglutinin (PHA), concanavalin A (ConA), and pokeweed mitogen (PWM), and cultured for several days. An excess of radio-labeled thymidine is made available to the cells during the later part of the culture period. As the stimulated cells enter the S phase of the cell cycle, they synthesize DNA, incorporating the radio-labeled thymidine which is then quantitated using a microplate scintillation counter. Results are expressed as counts per minute (cpm).
