Expression of CD11, CDw15, and transferrin receptor antigens on human hematopoietic progenitor cells

The expression of transferrin receptor-associated antigens and of CD11 and CDw15 antigens was investigated on myeloid committed progenitor cells (CFU-GM day 10, CFU-GM day 7, and cluster-forming cells [CFC] day 4), on erythroid committed progenitor cells (BFU-E and CFU-E), and on multilineage progenitor cells (CFU-GEMM). Both complement-dependent cytotoxicity and fluorescence-activated cell-sorting assays were performed. Complement-dependent cytotoxicity appeared to be the more sensitive assay. Transferrin receptor-associated antigens appeared to be clearly present on all myeloid and erythroid committed progenitor cells, but were found to be only weakly expressed on CFU-GEMM. CD11 antigens appeared to be strongly expressed only on mature granulocytes, monocytes, and certain lymphocytes, but not significantly on myeloid committed precursor cells. Surprisingly, CD11 antigens were weakly, but significantly, present on CFU-E. CDw15 antigens appeared to be restricted to myeloid differentiation and were increasingly expressed from CFU-GM day 10 to CFC day 4. Thus, antitransferrin receptor, CD11, and CDw15 antibodies can be used to separate hematopoietic progenitor cells and may be useful tools in the study of hematopoietic differentiation.