title: Rabbit antiserum to human thymocyte membranes: specificity for normal and malignant T-lymphocytes.
abstract: An antiserum was obtained by immunization of rabbits with human thymocyte membrane fractions. After appropriate absorptions, the antiserum was shown to detect specifically a population of T-cells. When tested by complement-mediated cytotoxicity the antiserum lysed 95% of thymocytes, 65% of normal PBL and 45% of tonsillar lymphocytes. It was also cytotoxic for three different T-cell lines (MOLT-4, CCRF-CEM and CCRF-HSB-2). When peripheral or tonsillar lymphocytes were separated into populations enriched in B- and T-cells, the percentage of cells lysed by the antiserum correlated well with the proportion of E-rosetting cells. Treatment of PBL with the antiserum and complement resulted in an increase of SmIg-positive B-cells in the residual cell fraction, which could no longer form E-rosettes. Treatment of PBL with the antiserum alone completely inhibited the E-rosette formation. The cytotoxic index on PBL from patients with various lymphoid disorders always correlated with the proportion of T-cells as assessed by E-rosette formation. Finally, the absorptive capacity of thymocytes for the antiserum was ten times higher as compared to that of PBL or tonsil cells.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000276:immunology; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000276:immunology; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000276:immunology; D011817:Rabbits / Q000276:immunology; D012397:Rosette Formation; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum; D003165:Complement System Proteins