Studying the Proliferation of Human Peripheral Blood T Lymphocytes in Serum-Free Medium

We compared the cultivation of human peripheral blood lymphocytes in serum-free medium Hybris-2 and RPMI 1640 medium with 10% fetal bovine serum in the presence of phytohemagglutinin and interleukin-2. The optimal concentration of phytohemagglutinin significantly differed in serum-free and serum-containing media (0.5 and 5 mg/ml, respectively). Both mitogens were more potent in stimulating the proliferation of lymphocytes in serum-free medium than in serum-containing medium. Strong proliferation of CD3+ and CD4+ T lymphocytes was observed in both media. The dynamics of other markers was similar in serum-free and serum-containing media. However, significant differences were revealed between individual donors. Our results indicate that the developed serum-free medium may be used in lymphocyte cultivation for scientific, diagnostic, and therapeutic purposes.