A micromethod for stimulation of chicken lymphocytes in vitro using whole blood.

A simple, rapid and reproducible micromethod for determination of in vitro mitogenic responses of chicken peripheral blood lymphocytes is described. The test utilizes 5 mul volumes of heparinized whole blood, 125I-labelled 5-iodo-2'-deoxyuridine with 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine in place of 3H]thymidine and a multiple cell-culture harvester. The method permits a close follow-up of the mitogenic responses in the chicken.