[Surface structure of human T and B lymphocytes forming rosettes with erythrocytes in scanning microscopy]

The authors tried to evaluate the surface of T and B cells in scanning microscope. The lymphocytes were isolated from the blood of healthy men and separated into T and B cells on the basis of rosette tests E and EAC. About 80% of T cells in type E rosettes showed marked bulgings of surface corresponding to numerous, densely crowded microvilli. The remaining 20% of lymphocytes T had more smooth surface. Difficulties were observed frequently in finding differences in the appearance of these cells in relation to lymphocytes B in type EAC rosettes whose surface was covered with minute bulgings corresponding to more delicate and less densely arranged microvilli. The differences in the structure of T and B cells after formation of E and EAC rosettes were not so evident that a decisive separation of both these cell populations on morphological basis would be possible.