Characterization of three different human T cell membrane antigens, two being present on T lymphocyte subpopulations.

Heteroantisera were raised in rabbits to thymocytes, HSB2 cells, and Sezary cells. Following absorption with Ia-positive leukemia cells, these sera appeared to be specific for different T cell antigens. Both the anti-HSB2 and the anti-Sezary sera reacted with approximately 50% and the antithymocyte serum with 100% of normal peripheral blood T lymphocytes. None of the sera reacted with B cells. The apparent molecular weights of the antigens being detected were determined by immunoprecipitation followed by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. A dimer of 170,000 daltons consisting of two similar 85,000-dalton polypeptide chains was immunoprecipitated by the anti-HSB2 serum whereas single polypeptides of 53,000 and 64,000 daltons were immunoprecipitated by the anti-Sezary and antithymocyte sera, respectively.