Detection of immunoglobulin-bearing lymphocytes in humans with special reference to patients with contact dermatitis

Factors likely to influence the detection of immunoglobulin-bearing lymphocytes by immunofluorescence (IF) have been studied. Several of the examined anti-immunoglobulin reagents reacted to other Ig-classes but the relevant as demonstrated by hemagglutination test. When the indirect IF-method was used most anti-Ig reagents reacted with a significantly larger population of lymphocytes. Neither cytophilic Ig, nor plasma membrane dynamics did seem to exert any critical effect on classification of human lymphocytes. With selected sera lymphocytes of 24 patients with contact dermatitis were studied. No difference in number of Ig-bearing cells (direct and indirect technique respectively) between the patients and normals was found. In most individuals there was a good correlation between EA-rosette-forming cells and number of Ig-bearing lymphocytes including IgD-bearing using the indirect technique. This indicates the detection of a Fc-positive rather than a Ig-bearing cell population.