Differential staining of human alpha beta and gamma delta T cells by the fluorescein conjugate of an anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody.
The enumeration of total T cells, an important function of the clinical immunology laboratory, utilizes antibodies to CD3, the macromolecular complex associated with the antigen-specific receptors of T cells. We compared the ability of some commonly employed commercial anti-CD3 reagents to stain human peripheral blood lymphocytes. Surprisingly, the fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) conjugate of Coulter clone T3 (FITC-T3) stained most T cells brightly, but selectively stained gamma delta T cells very dimly or not at all. In contrast, the other anti-CD3 reagents studied (FITC-Leu 4, PE-T3, PE-Leu 4, and indirectly labelled T3 and Leu 4) stained all T cells equivalently. Dual-colour flow cytometric analysis with FITC-T3 and PE-Leu 4 readily demonstrated a FITC-T3-/PE-Leu 4+ population of T cells. This unique population stained dimly or not at all with a combination of anti-CD4 and anti-CD8 monoclonal antibodies and positively with the pan-gamma delta T cell antibody TCR delta 1. Moreover, an excellent correlation was found between the number of FITC-T3-/PE-Leu 4+ cells and the number of TCR delta 1+ cells in 32 normal individuals. Thus, the FITC-T3-/PE-Leu 4+ phenotype accurately marks all gamma delta T cells. In contrast to FITC-T3, both PE-conjugated and unconjugated T3 stained gamma delta T cells brightly. Therefore, T3 binds to an epitope present on all T cells, but fluoresceinylation specifically attenuates this antibody's ability to bind to gamma delta T cells. These findings indicate that the use of FITC-T3 can result in a significant and variable underestimation of peripheral blood T cell number and demonstrate further that the CD3 complexes of human alpha beta and gamma delta T cells are significantly different.
Mullersman
J E
JE
Department of Pathology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110.
White
G
G
Tung
K S
KS
D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology; D017252:CD3 Complex; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D019793:Fluorescein; D005452:Fluoresceins; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D017252:CD3 Complex; D005452:Fluoresceins; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D019793:Fluorescein