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Previous Volume 344:231-232 January 18, 2001 Number 3 Next

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To the Editor: The excellent review by von Andrian and Mackay (Oct. 5 issue)¹ outlines the challenges faced by the lymphoid system when it responds to a diverse array of pathogens. In their introduction the authors restate a common misconception about the magnitude of the T-cell response to individual pathogens, noting that "the number of cells whose T-cell receptors recognize any individual antigen is very limited (several thousand at most)." Historical estimates of the frequencies of precursor T cells specific for recall antigens (e.g., in influenza), derived primarily from limiting-dilution assays and analogous techniques, have been consistent with such an . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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