Immunologic surface markers on nonhuman primate lymphocytes

Peripheral blood lymphocytes from 37 healthy rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) and thymocytes from 10 fetal and neonatal rhesus macaques were studied for membrane characteristics. Spontaneous rosette formation with sheep erythrocytes, a characteristic of human T lymphocytes, was evaluated. The presence of membrane-bound immunoglobulin and surface receptors for fixed complement was measured, using fluorescent antibody techniques and erythrocyte-antibody-complement rosettes, respectively. The mean percentages +/- 1 standard error of the lymphocyte markers in the peripheral blood lymphocytes from the macaques were: spontaneous rosettes, 63 +/- 1.0; erythrocyte-antibody-complement rosettes, 14.9 +/- 1.2; and membrane immunoglobulin-positive cells, 21.9 +/- 2.2. These values are very similar to values reported for human beings.