In immunology, reactive lymphocytes, variant lymphocytes, atypical lymphocytes, Downey cells or Türk cells are cytotoxic (CD8+) lymphocytes that become large as a result of antigen stimulation. Typically, they can be more than 30 μm in diameter with varying size and shape.
Discovery
Reactive lymphocytes were originally described by W. Türk in 1907 in the peripheral blood of patients with infectious mononucleosis. Later in 1923 the features of the reactive lymphocytes were characterized in greater detail by Hal Downey and C.A. McKinlay, who also discovered the association with EBV and CMV.[1][2]
- ^ Cabot, Richard C.; Scully, Robert E.; Mark, Eugene J.; McNeely, William F.; McNeely, Betty U.; Rosenfield, Cathy G.; Kaplan, Mark A. (June 1994). "Case records of the Massachusetts General Hospital. Weekly clinicopathological exercises. Case 24-1994. A two-year-old boy with thrombocytopenia, leukocytosis, and hepatosplenomegaly". N. Engl. J. Med. 330 (24): 1739–46. doi:10.1056/NEJM199406163302408. PMID 8190136.
- ^ Downey, Hal; McKinlay, C.A. (1 July 1923). "Acute Lymphadenosis Compared with Acute Lymphatic Leukemia". Archives of Internal Medicine. 32 (1): 82–112. doi:10.1001/archinte.1923.00110190085006. ISSN 0003-9926.