Cytochemistry of Human T‐Cell Subpopulations

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Abstract
Acid phosphatase and esterase cytochemistry performed on purified normal human T-cell populations showed that both methods produced distinctive localized dot patterns of reactivity in 60–70% of cells. By examination of rosette preparations formed with ox erythrocytes coated with IgM (EAM), with IgG (EAG), or anti-human κ and λ light chains, it was shown that this pattern of reactivity was largely restricted to small T lymphocytes possessing receptors for the Fc of IgG (Tμ cells). In addition, both B lymphocytes and T cells with receptors for the Fc of IgG (Tλ cells) were larger lymphocytes with more abundant cytoplasm and usually displayed scattered granular acid phosphatase activity; in esterase preparations both cell types were either negative or possessed similar scattered granular positivity. As compared with Tμ cells, Tγ cells were seen to form loose spontaneous rosettes with sheep erythrocytes. Combined esterase and acid phosphatase staining showed that both enzyme activities in the Tμ. cells are localized in the same area, and ultrastructural acid phosphatase cytochemistry established that this was in distinctive lysosomal structures. Tμ staining by both esterase and acid phosphatase cytochemistry was greatly reduced after rosetting with EAG, but not after rosette formation with EAM or sheep erythrocytes.