A subpopulation of T cells detected by AET-treated sheep erythrocytes

Abstract The rosette-forming capacity of lymphocytes from the peripheral blood of normal subjects and patients with colorectal cancer, malignant melanoma, lymphoma, and acute and chronic lymphocytic leukemia was determined with sheep erythrocytes (E) and 2-aminoethylisothiouronium bromide (AET)-treated E. The titer of anti-thymocyte globulin that caused a 25% inhibition in rosette formation was also tested with the untreated and AET-treated E. An increase of approximately 20% in RFC was observed with AET-treated E when compared to E. The ratio of AET-RFC/E-RFC varied in different kinds of cancer with the highest ratio observed in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The anti-thymocyte globulin titer was always found to be greater with the E than with the AET-treated E. The properties of an E-RFC-depleted lymphocyte preparation lead to the belief that there are at least two subpopulations of T cells, one of which is highly avid for E and AET-treated E.