ANTI-SERUMS FOR IMMUNOFLUORESCENT ENUMERATION OF HUMAN LYMPHOCYTES-T UTILIZING FLUORESCEINATED STAPHYLOCOCCAL PROTEIN-A

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 92  (3) , 619-635
Abstract
Five lots (100 ml or more) of heterologous antisera specific for human T [thymus derived] lymphocytes were prepared using human or rhesus monkey thymocytes as immunogens. After appropriate adsorptions, these antisera reacted by immunofluorescence with 68% of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and 98% of human thymocytes, with E[erythrocyte]-rosette-positive cells but not with EAC[erythrocyte, antibody, complement]-rosette-positive cells or 5 human B[bone marrow derived]-lymphoblastoid cell lines. Blocking experiments showed that rhesus monkey thymocytes share thymic antigenic determinant(s) with humans. E-rosette receptors modulated independently from T-cell heteroantigens. Non-E-rosetting neoplastic T cells were identified in several patients with lymphoproliferative malignancies. Applying both the E-rosette assay and the anti-T-cell serum provides a better method of defining the biologic properties of normal and neoplastic T lymphocytes. Standardization of immunofluorescent conjugates for human T- or B-cell enumeration is simplified if large lots of well-characterized antisera are available.