title: Autorosette formation in humans: study of the specificity of the T cell receptors for autologous erythrocytes.
abstract: Spontaneous autorosette formation has been described as being restricted to a subpopulation of the circulating helper/inducer T cell subset. In order to study the specificity of the binding between human lymphocytes and autologous red blood cells (auto-RBC), we have investigated the relationship between autorosette forming cells (auto-RFC) and rosettes formed with allogeneic (allo-) or xenogeneic (xeno-) RBC. Using a mixed rosette assay in which the origin of the erythrocytes was assessed by the FITC labeling of one type of erythrocyte, we have shown that auto-RFC and allo-RFC belong to the same T cell subset, and that the T cells which rosette with auto-RBC can also bind xenogeneic (pig, sheep, rabbit) RBC, although a disparate incidence of rosettes is found depending upon the origin of the erythrocytes. Whether T lymphocytes co-expressed distinct receptors for RBC of different species was then investigated. Preincubation of lymphocytes with monoclonal antibody OKT11A (directed against the T cell receptors for sheep RBC) completely abrogated rosette formation with auto- or allo-RBC, indicating that auto- and allo-RBC interact with the lymphocytes by their receptors for sheep RBC. Therefore, the auto-RFC may represent T lymphocytes having high affinity receptors for sheep RBC.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nalet
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fournier
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000276:immunology; D012397:Rosette Formation; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic