Failure to Distinguish Ultrastructurally between T4+ (Helper) and T8+ (Suppressor/Cytotoxic) T‐Cell Subsets

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Abstract
Human peripheral T cell subpopulations revealed by monoclonal antibodies by a rosetting method were isolated by micromanipulation and submitted to EM analysis. The T3+ subset (total T cells) displayed a high degree of heterogeneity, including multiple transitional forms, from cells with a high nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio and rare organelles to cells with a low nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio and a complex system of cytoplasmic organelles. T4+ (inducer/helper) and T8+ (suppressor/cytotoxic) cell supopulations have no evident distinguishing characteristics. They both displayed the same morphological variation mentioned for T3+ lymphocytes. On morphometric analysis, these 2 cell subsets were very similar, with only slight differences for cell surface roughness, volume of mitochondria, extent of nuclear indentation and surface area of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. The significance of these minor morphological differences is discussed.