Human peripheral lymphocytes bearing both B-cell complement receptors and T-cell characteristics for sheep erythrocytes detected by a mixed rosette method.

Human peripheral lymphocyte preparations were tested with a mixed rosette method for the presence of lymphocytes bearing both the complement receptors characteristic of B lymphocytes, and the capacity of T lymphocytes to spontaneously bind with sheep red blood cells (SRBC). The large and oval shaped pigeon red blood cells (PRBC) which do not form T-cell rosettes were utilized as indicators for rosette formation with the complement receptor-bearing B cell. In every individual (an average of 2·06%) lymphocytes were observed which formed rosettes with both SRBC and PRBC indicators. These findings show that independent markers for both T and B cells may be present on the surface of the same lymphocytes.