Identification of complex phenotype (OKT4+/OKT8+) on adult T-cell leukemia cells by sequential application of indirect rosette assay with protein A-coated ox red blood cells and immunoperoxidase technic.

The specific immunophenotypic characterization of the hematologic malignant diseases has been obtained most commonly by the immunofluorescent technic. It requires a microscope with illuminator or the expensive flow cytometer that usually precludes morphologic assessment. It was compared with the indirect rosette assay and the immunoperoxidase study, which allowed both immunologic and morphologic assessment. These three technics appeared to be comparable quantitatively, and the latter two technics utilizing cytospin preparations were applied sequentially to the leukemic cells of adult T-cell leukemia with a complex phenotype (OKT4+/OKT8+) and successfully displayed the double markers on each leukemic cell.