Properties of antisera against lymphocytes of nude mice.

The activity of rabbit antisera against nu/nu BALB/c lymphocytes was estimated in vivo and in vitro. It was found that anti-lymphocyte serum (ALS) against nu/nu lymph node cells suppressed the alloantigen reaction and the spontaneous rosette-forming cell (sRFC) or plaque-forming cell (PFC) formation for T-dependent (sheep red blood cells) and T-independent (lipopolysaccharide) antigens. ALS against nu/nu spleen cells affected only the sRFC and PFC for T-independent antigen. The former serum exhibited a high cytotoxicity for the suspensions enriched or depleted in B cells, while the latter was more cytotoxic for the suspension enriched in B cells. This may indicate that ALS anti-nu/nu spleen cells is specific for B lymphocytes, and ALS anti nu/nu lymph node cells is directed not only to B cells but also to a subpopulation of T lymphocytes. It may suggest the existence of a subpopulation of T lymphocytes in nu/nu lymph node cells.