Staining of pig lymphocytes subpopulations with acid alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase

The use of alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase (ANAE) as a T cell marker in some other species and the broad correlation of incidence of ANAE-positivity and E rosette-formation in the pig suggest that ANAE-staining may be a T-cell marker in the pig. However, by studying the staining of lymphocytes within a variety of rosettes in fixed preparations a similar incidence of pig blood lymphocytes were found to be ANAE+ among T cells (E rosettes formed in dextran), B cells (antiglobulin rosettes) and Fc-gamma receptor-bearing B and T cells (EA rosettes in saline and dextran): complement (C') receptor-bearing cells showed a higher incidence of staining than other lymphocytes. Analysis of staining morphology suggested that certain morphologies within the B and T lineages may be confined to subpopulations. Thus ANAE positivity is certainly not a marker identifying blood T lymphocytes but could be of some value indicating subpopulations of B and T lymphocytes.