Kinetic studies of haemopoietic progenitor cells (CFU-C) and T-lymphocytes in the liver of human foetus.

In the development of human foetus, liver is an important haemopoietic organ. We have determined the liver weight and total hepatic nucleated cells from 24 foetuses on the one hand, and CFU-C yield, total number of CFU-C and T-lymphocytes in liver from 22 foetuses of different ages on the other. From the kinetic observations through the early developmental period of the foetuses, the maximum yield of CFU-C or the total number of CFU-C in the liver occurs at 4-5 months of gestation; during the first 5 months of gestation the percentage of T-lymphocytes in the liver is about 1-2%.