Comparative density of the human T-cell antigen T65 on normal peripheral
blood T cells and chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells
SB Wormsley, ML Collins and I Royston
A 65,000 dalton T-cell specific antigen previously demonstrated to be
present on the surface of normal and malignant T cells, but not normal B
cells, has been detected on the surface of leukemic cells from patients wih
nonsecretory, surface immunoglobulin-positive chronic lymphocytic leukemia
(CLL). By means of immunofluorescence and flow cytometry, the relative
surface density of the T65 antigen on CLL cells was compared to that on
normal peripheral blood T cells and human thymocytes, as well as cell lines
of T-cell lineage. In all cases, the CLL cells had a more homogeneous and a
lower median fluorescence intensity than that of normal circulating T
cells. Thymocytes were composed of three populations, two with low surface
density of T65 resembling the CLL cells and the other with higher density
similar to normal T cells. The staining of cell lines varied from bright,
heterogeneous staining (8402) to uniform, low-density staining (Molt- 4).
The implications of these findings with regard to lymphocyte
differentiation are discussed.
Volume 57,
Issue 4,
pp. 657-662,
04/01/1981
Copyright © 1981 by The American Society of Hematology
