Comparative study of autologous, total E and ‘active’ E-rosette-forming T lymphocytes in untreated Hodgkin's disease

Summary

In order to evaluate the value of autologous rosettes, a marker for a T lymphocyte subpopulation, in the diagnosis of T lymphocyte defects, we compared the ability of T cells from untreated patients with Hodgkin's disease to form autologous, total E and ‘active’ E rosettes. While the mean percentage of total E and ‘active’ E rosettes was significantly decreased in the patients compared to normal controls (0.01<P<0.02), no difference was observed for autologous rosettes (0.6<P<0.7). Only two patients showed decreased ‘active’ E rosettes whilst eight had decreased total E rosettes. Individual data in the patients showed a wide dispersion of autologous rosettes with both high and low percentages whatever the relative number of the two other T cell markers. No correlation was observed between any of the three types of rosettes in the patients whereas autologous rosettes were clearly correlated with total E (0.01<P<0.02) but not with ‘active’ rosettes in normal controls. Neither autologous nor ‘active’ rosettes could be correlated with skin test results.