Rosette formation with sheep erythrocytes--a possible T-cell marker in the pig.

A proportion of pig lymphocytes form rosettes with sheep erythrocytes. Factors affecting their demonstration have been investigated, and a standard technique defined. Rosette-forming lymphocytes lacked surface immunoglobulin detected by immunofluorescence and formation of rosettes was not inhibited by anti-immunoglobulin or anti-PLA sera, but was by anti-thymus serum.

Rosette formation of pig T lymphocytes with sheep erythrocytes.

The relationship of sheep RBC rosette formation to density of thymus and blood lymphocytes was investigated. Thymocyte density was unimodal and cells of all densities rosetted equally. Blood lymphocyte density was bimodal with most rosette-forming cells in the denser ficoll layers.