ANTI-HUMAN LYMPHOCYTE-T ANTISERUM - INSITU IDENTIFICATION OF T-CELLS IN THE SKIN OF DELAYED-TYPE HYPERSENSITIVITY REACTIONS, CHRONIC PHOTOSENSITIVITY DERMATITIS, AND MYCOSIS-FUNGOIDES

A specific rabbit anti-human T-lymphocyte antiserum has been utilized in an indirect immunofluorescence method to detect T lymphocytes in situ of cryostat tissue sections from biopsies from positive delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions and from patients with chronic photosensitivity dermatitis and mycosis fungoides. The antiserum was raised against thymocytes and rendered specific against human T lymphocytes by extensive absorptions with B lymphocytes from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemias, pooled human IgG, and erythrocytes. Specificity tests were performed in several systems and included staining of tissue sections from thymus, spleen, and lymph node; the results were recorded and fulfill the criteria for specificity demanded by the WHO/IARC-Sponsored Workshop (Scand. J. Immunol. 1, 521, 1974). A predominance of T-lymphocytes was present in the skin infiltrate of positive delayed hypersensitivity reaction, chronic photosensitivity, and mycosis fungoides stage II. © 1979.