Characterization of null cells in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia with B-cell allo- and hetero-antisera.

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia peripheral blood mononuclear cells (CLL-PBMN) were separated into B, T and Null-enriched lymphocyte sub-populations using sequential mouse and sheep red blood cell rosetting depletions on Hypaque-Ficoll gradients. The procedure produced viable cell populations with mean percentage purities of 90, 87 and 75 for B, T and non-rosetting (Null-enriched) sub-populations, respectively. More than 80% of PBMN cells were generally accounted for by mouse and sheep rosetting. The purified lymphocyte sub-populations were examined with a panel of B-cell specific alloantisera obtained from kidney transplant recipients and a rabbit antiserum to B cell antigen isolated from a human B-lymphoblastoid line. The results illustrated that the antigens detected by these sera also have potential as a marker for characterizing the CLL population. Where conventional markers were weak or absent, B cell antigens were readily detected in both fluorescent and cytotoxic tests. The majority of the non-rosetting cells (less than 90%) in CLL followed similar patterns of reactivity to the purified B cells, suggesting they are a subset of B cells. A small residual population (0--5% of PBMN) did not react with the antisera, the significance of which is unknown.