title: Enzyme analysis of autologous rosette-forming cells.
abstract: Autologous rosette-forming cells (ARFC) have been considered to be post-thymic precursor cells. Since thymocytes and peripheral T lymphocytes differ considerably in lactate dehydrogenase isoenzyme pattern and in activity of the enzymes of the purine metabolism, we investigated the enzyme profile in the ARFC. The L-lactate: NAD+ oxi-reductase analysis showed an isoenzyme pattern that closely resembled the pattern found in peripheral T lymphocytes and was totally different from the thymocytes. The levels of adenosine deaminase and purine nucleoside phosphorylase were identical to those found in the peripheral T lymphocytes and different from thymocytes. In our hands, the ARFC-enriched suspension contained predominantly OKT4+ and T mu+ lymphocytes. We propose that ARFC are a heterogeneous population encompassing all known subsets and cannot be considered a separate homogeneous entity.
mesh_terms: D000243:Adenosine Deaminase / Q000378:metabolism; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D011683:Purine-Nucleoside Phosphorylase / Q000378:metabolism; D012397:Rosette Formation; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007527:Isoenzymes; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D011683:Purine-Nucleoside Phosphorylase; D000243:Adenosine Deaminase