Abstract
Monoclonal antibody-coated cells form rosettes with ox erythrocytes coated with anti-mouse Ig. This rosetting technique for the enumeration of T lymphocyte subsets and the study of both phenotypic and morphological characteristics of leukemia and lymphoma cells was investigated.
With this method, the mean percentages of αLeu4 (pan T lymphocyte), αLeu2a (suppressor/cytotoxic T lymphocyte) and αLeu3a (helper/inducer T lymphocyte) positive cells of peripheral blood E+cells in healthy adults were 80.0±7.0%, 30.5±7.5% and 53.0±10.0%, respectively. The ratio of helper/suppressor T lymphocyte was 1.2-2.2. These values were similar to the published values determined by immunofluorescence assay and complement-mediated cytotoxicity assay.
In the malignant cell surface marker analysis, adult T-cell leukemia showed the phenotype of helper/inducer T lymphocytes (αLeu4+, 2a-, 3a+); T-cell lymphoma, that of common thymocyte (αLeu4+, 2a+, 3a+); acute lymphocytic leukemia, that of common ALL (αcALL+, HLA-DR+, αLeu4-, 2a-, 3a-, S-Ig-). In the case of AMMoL, the percentage of MY 4 positive cells was found to be 56%, that of MY 7, 72% and that of MY 9, 77%. In addition, the simultaneous analysis of cytological features and monoclonal antibody-defined surface markers of rosette-forming cells was achieved by preparing smears with cytochemical staining.
This method is technically simple, commonly available and as sensitive as other techniques. Therefore, we consider it to be of value in routine practice and well-suited for use in the characterization of malignant cells.
