Peanut agglutinin as a surface marker for canine T lymphocytes.

Peanut agglutinin (PNA) and surface immunoglobulin (SIg) were investigated as markers for T and B lymphocytes in blood and lymphoid tissues of dogs of various ages. In the blood study, 4 age groups (n = 8 dogs/group) were used. The mean (+/- SD) percentages of PNA-positive (PNA+) cells were 68.4 +/- 8.6% (group 1, less than 1 year old), 70.3 +/- 9.2% (group 2, 1 to 2 years old), 72.0 +/- 3.7% (group 3, 5 to 6 years old), and 63.8 +/- 10.1% (group 4, 10 to 11 years old). The mean percentages of SIg-positive (SIg+) cells in blood were 32.1 +/- 10.6% (group 1), 43.2 +/- 7.0% (group 2), 34.3 +/- 4.8% (group 3), and 35.0 +/- 6.8% (group 4). The mean total percentages of PNA+ and SIg+ cells were 100 +/- 6.0% (group 1), 113.5 +/- 4.9% (group 2), 106.3 +/- 5.3% (group 3), and 98.9 +/- 9.2% (group 4). The proportions of PNA+ and SIg+ cells in dogs of group 2 were significantly (P less than 0.05) different from those in dogs of the other groups. Serial changes in PNA+ and SIg+ cells were investigated in blood of 6- to 29-week-old pups (n = 8). A significant (P less than 0.05) transient decrease in PNA+ cells and a corresponding increase in SIg+ cells was observed in pups between 14 and 17 weeks old. Lymphoid tissue specimens and blood samples were obtained from 2- to 6-month-old dogs (n = 11) and from 6- to 12-month-old dogs (n = 10).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)