Peripheral blood T lymphocytes of patients with chronic B cell lymphatic leukemia express Ia-like antigens

Abstract

15.7 +/- 3.5% of sheep rosette-forming cells (SRFC) were isolated from the peripheral blood of 11 patients with B-cell chronic lympholeukemia (B-CLL). SRFC did not express surface immunoglobulins, antigens of nondifferentiated blasts and antigens of early T-cell precursors, while NK-cell antigen expression was low. 6 of 11 patients revealed 44.6 +/- 19.6% of Ia-like antigens in SRFC. Ia-like antigen expression was 4.8 +/- 0.6% in SRFC isolated from the peripheral blood of 19 healthy donors. The expression of Ia-like antigens in T cells of patients with B-CLL is suggested to be related to the activation of regulatory T-lymphocyte subpopulation.