Sequential changes of the T lymphocytes following ER rosette formation in guinea pigs. I. Expression of Fc and complement receptors.

Changes in proportions of the Fc and complement receptor (FcR, CR) positive T lymphocytes from guinea pigs following their interaction with rabbit erythrocytes (ER) were studied using EA and EAC rosette forming assays. Significant increases in the percentages of EA and EAC rosette forming cell (RFC) were observed when thymocytes or lymph node cells were assayed after ER rosette formation. Furthermore, T-enriched fraction by the ER monolayer adherence technique also showed similar or somewhat higher increases in the proportions of both EA and EAC RFC than those of unfractionated cells after contact with ER. The double rosette assay by ER with EA or EAC showed that 50-80% of the Fc and/or complement receptor positive lymphocytes bound rabbit erythrocytes simultaneously. These findings strongly suggest that at least a subset of the guinea pig T cells is altered to express Fc and/or complement receptors on their surfaces following the interaction with ER.