ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the differentiation process of the main lymphocyte subsets and the membrane markers expressed on the mature cells. A brief introduction to the key technological approaches used in the study of lymphopoiesis and membrane markers will be useful before broaching this intricate and intriguing topic. Identification of expression patterns of surface and intracellular marker have made it possible to define, purify, and characterize lymphocytes with regard to type, maturation stage and activation state. Standardized nomenclature has been adopted for many cellular markers, the letters “CD” (for cluster of differentiation) followed by a number. Cellular markers are most often identified using fluorescence-tagged monoclonal antibodies and detected by flow cytometry or immunofluorescence microscopy (see Chapter 15).
