Canadian Medical Guide > Anatomy > Cells > Blood Cells > Leukocytes > Leukocytes, Mononuclear > Lymphocytes Terms and Definitions

Lymphocytes

Medical Definition:	White blood cells formed in the body's lymphoid tissue. The nucleus is round or ovoid with coarse, irregularly clumped chromatin while the cytoplasm is typically pale blue with azurophilic (if any) granules. Most lymphocytes can be classified as either T or B (with subpopulations of each); those with characteristics of neither major class are called null cells.
Guide Notes:	A 11 qualif; decrease in number = LYMPHOPENIA; excess number = LYMPHOCYTOSIS; LYMPHOCYTE COUNT is also available; LYMPHOCYTE CULTURE TEST, MIXED is also available
Also Called:	Lymphoid Cells

Lymphocytes Categories.

	Killer Cells - Lymphocyte-like effector cells which mediate antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity. They kill antibody-coated target cells which they bind with their Fc receptors.
	Killer Cells, Natural - Cells responsible for spontaneous cytotoxicity of a variety of tumor cells without prior immunization. These natural killer cells are found in non-immune humans and experimental animals and are thought by some to be the same as KILLER CELLS (killing by antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity), but they can also kill in the absence of antibody.
	Lymphocyte Subsets - A classification of lymphocytes based on structurally or functionally different populations of cells.
	Lymphocytes, Null - A class of lymphocytes characterized by the lack of surface markers specific for either T or B lymphocytes.
	Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating - Lymphocytes that show specificity for autologous tumor cells. Ex vivo isolation and culturing of TIL with interleukin-2, followed by reinfusion into the patient, is one form of adoptive immunotherapy of cancer.
	T-Lymphocytes - Lymphocytes responsible for cell-mediated immunity. Two types have been identified - cytotoxic (T-LYMPHOCYTES, CYTOTOXIC) and helper T-lymphocytes (T-LYMPHOCYTES, HELPER-INDUCER). They are formed when lymphocytes circulate through the thymus gland and differentiate to thymocytes. When exposed to an antigen, they divide rapidly and produce large numbers of new T cells sensitized to that antigen.

Lymphocytes Medical Definitions and Terms

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