Quantitation of β2-Microglobulin and HLA on the Surface of Human Cells.

Relative amounts of β₂-microglobulin (β_2m) and of HLA specificities were analysed on the surface of resting unfractionated peripheral human lymphocytes, enriched B and T cells, and on in-vivo- and in-vitro-stimulated lymphoblasts. Single-cell cytofluorometry and a very sensitive radioimmunoassay were used to determine as closely as possible the absolute amounts of membrane-bound β ;_2m/HLA antigens. B and T 'resting' and 'stimulated' lympboid cells express very similar numbers of β ;_2m and HLA antigenic determinants, respectively, per unit of surface area when compared within each group, although β ;_2m was found to exist in two- to three-fold excess of HLA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]