High frequency of cord blood lymphocytes against mycobacterial 65‐kDa heat‐shock protein

A high frequency of nonadherent mononuclear cells in human cord blood proliferates in response to mycobacterial 65-kDa heat-shock protein. The frequency range in cord blood is not different from that in peripheral blood of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccinated adults. In comparison we found 10 to 100 times lower frequencies to purified protein derivative in nonadherent cord blood mononuclear cells than in adult peripheral blood mononuclear cells. These findings may provide experimental support for Cohen's theory of the immuno-logical homonculus