The use of bacteria as markers of leukemic lymphocytes and for the isolation of natural killer cells.
Human lymphocyte subpopulations as well as leukemic lymphocytes can be identified and enumerated in blood smears by using bacteria that bind spontaneously to lymphocytes or by using bacteria to which antibodies are chemically coupled. The mechanism of natural binding of bacteria to lymphocytes was shown to involve a lectin on the lymphocyte surface and a carbohydrate on the bacteria. Also, we found that natural killer (NK) cells can be separated by negative selection using monolayers of bacteria. A subpopulation of T cells, identified by their binding of B. globigii, was shown to be suppressors for NK cells.
D001419:Bacteria / Q000276:immunology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002452:Cell Count; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000276:immunology; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007158:Immunologic Techniques; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D007938:Leukemia / Q000276:immunology*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology