A micromethod for the detection of Tg and Tm cells. Technical aspects for the enumeration of human T-cell subpopulations.

A rosette technique for the detection of human T-lymphocyte subpopulations with Fc receptors for IgG (TG cells) or IgM (TM cells) has been worked out using minimal amounts of IgG and IgM antibodies. Antibody-coated ox red blood cells (EA) were used as indicator cells. Optimal conditions for rosette enumerations required intimate T-cell-EA contact and incubation of cell mixtures for 3 h at 4 degrees C. The TM-cell level increased after culture of T cells, and TM-cell rosettes were found to be more fragile. The rosette assay was found to be reproducible and thus useful in clinical immunology.