T-cell lineage of a Friend virus-induced lymphatic leukemia in athymic rats.

Athymic (rnu/rnu) and euthymic rats inoculated with the Friend virus-associated lymphatic leukemia virus developed lymphocytic leukemia. Neoplastic cells from these animals were evaluated by means of indirect immunofluorescence and flow cytofluorometry with monoclonal antibodies Ox-1, Ox-7, and W3/25, which react with surface antigens present on normal rat lymphoid cell populations. Lymphoid cells from leukemic animals revealed characteristic alterations in cell surface fluorescence profiles when compared to normal, healthy controls. Athymic and euthymic leukemic rats were similar in that many cells from both the spleen and bone marrow had markers on the cell surface normally found on thymocytes but not on mature peripheral lymphocytes. These studies provided evidence supporting the presence of T-lineage lymphocytes in the athymic rat. Further, this population of early or "pre"-T-lymphocytes included the predominant leukemia cell type induced by the Friend virus-associated lymphatic leukemia virus.