ROSETTING OF HUMAN LYMPHOCYTES-T WITH GOAT RED BLOOD-CELLS - EFFECT OF TREATMENT WITH 2-AMINOETHYLISOTHIOURONIUM BROMIDE (AET) AND COMPARISON WITH AET TREATED SHEEP RED BLOOD-CELLS

In vitro treatment of goat red blood cells (GRBCs) with the sulphydryl compound 2-aminoethylisothiouronium bromide (AET) increases their specific reactivity with human T lymphocytes without affecting the specificity of the reaction. AET-GRBCs bind to only part of T lymphocytes rosetting with AET-sheep red blood cells (SRBCs): the receptors for both types of RBCs are very similar if not identical, but display higher affinity for AET-SRBCs than for AET-GRBCs. Rosetting of T lymphocytes with AET-GRBCs may be useful to enumerate T lymphocyte subsets in patients with abnormality of the immune system and to fractionate T lymphocyte subpopulations. © 1979.