[Rosette-forming ability of virus-treated human leukocytes (V-rosettes)]

Rosette-formation with auto- and allogeneic red blood cells was applied to detection of human leucocyte subpopulations interacting with Sendai virus (V-rosettes). It was shown that the majority of V-rosette-forming cells appeared to be monocytes. T lymphocytes did not take part in V-rosette-formation since selective elimination of T cells from the mononuclear cells population did not lead to reduction of but increased the number of V-rosettes. Enrichment of cell suspension with B lymphocytes was followed by a rise in the number of V-rosettes thereby allowing the attribution of B lymphocytes along with monocytes to the cell population interacting with virus. The results suggest that ability of virus-exposed immunocompetent cells to react with their own red blood cells may lie at the basis of the development of autoimmune hemolytic anemia and other autoimmune diseases.