title: Erythrocyte-rosette receptor expression by chronic lymphocytic leukemia B lymphocytes.
abstract: Erythrocyte (E) rosette-forming cells have been investigated in three patients with B chronic lymphocytic leukemia whose leukemic lymphocytes were easily identifiable. A small percentage of fresh neoplastic cells formed E rosettes in two patients. In every patient, most unstimulated, cultured leukemic lymphocytes became E+ and this was further enhanced by phytohemagglutinin and pokeweed mitogen stimulation or neuraminidase treatment. These E+ B cells lacked detectable T cell antigens (except for a weak expression of an antigen associated with the helper T cell subpopulation in one case). They were unreactive or weakly reactive by immunofluorescence with a monoclonal antibody to the E receptor. However, this antibody completely inhibited E-rosette formation. The enhanced expression of E-rosette receptors by in vitro cultured cells appeared to be dependent upon the presence of a small number of E-rosetting cells at the beginning of the culture. E-rosette receptor expression by leukemic lymphocytes was most likely in a fourth case (out of 9 patients studied). This finding may account for some of the discrepancies in the study of so-called T cells in B chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
mesh_terms: D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000276:immunology*; D008934:Mitogens; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology; D012397:Rosette Formation
chemical_list: D008934:Mitogens; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell