title: Immunocytochemical detection of T and B cell populations in routine blood smears.
abstract: Immunofluorescence labelling of peripheral blood mononuclear cells is usually done on cells in suspension. This paper describes a procedure based on immuno-alkaline phosphatase staining of routine blood smears. The advantages of this method are that a few drops of blood are sufficient for labelling multiple lymphocyte subpopulations; smears may be stored for long periods before labelling; it is unnecessary to isolate a mononuclear cell fraction before labelling; labelled preparations can be stored; and the morphological features of labelled cells are shown clearly. The technique was used to label T cells and their subsets, B cells, and HLA-DR antigen in blood smears from 15 normal donors, from 7 patients with infectious mononucleosis, from 1 patient with clinically proven AIDS, and from 1 symptom-free subject at risk of AIDS. The normal T helper/suppressor ratio of 1 X 95 was reversed in all of the last three groups of subjects, the mean being 0 X 34 for infectious mononucleosis; the value was 0 X 22 in the AIDS patients. Immuno-alkaline phosphatase labelling of routine blood smears seems to be a valuable method for studying abnormalities in circulating lymphocyte subpopulations and lends itself to mass screening for altered T helper and T suppressor subjects-for example, in blood donors.
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000097:blood; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification*; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007244:Infectious Mononucleosis / Q000097:blood; D008722:Methods; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000145:classification
chemical_list: D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase