RELIABILITY OF ALPHA-NAPHTHYL-ACETATE ESTERASE STAINING OF BLOOD SMEARS FOR THE ENUMERATION OF CIRCULATING HUMAN LYMPHOCYTES-T

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 41  (2) , 358-362
Abstract
Cytocentrifuged preparations of glutaraldehyde-fixed E [sheep erythrocyte] rosettes were stained for acid alpha-naphthyl-acetate esterase activity (ANAE). On average, 84% of the rosette-forming cells (E+) stained positively for the enzyme activity (A+). ANAE staining of blood smears of 33 [human] healthy controls was compared to E rosetting by a conventional method. A+ and E+ fractional values are highly significantly correlated; the regression of E+ on A+ is E+ = 0.805.A+ + 16.8 (P < 10-6). Since the correlation between E+ and A+ cells is statistically and cytologically significant, blood smear ANAE staining is proposed as a simple and convenient method to enumerate circulating T lymphocytes in clinical practice.