Spontaneous and PHA-induced rosetting of human blood, tonsil lymphocytes and MLC blasts with sheep, human and horse erythrocytes.

Compared to peripheral blood lymphocytes the ability of human tonsil T cells and MLC blasts to bind sheep, human and horse erythrocytes was found to be increased. Tonsil and MLC T cells were able to bind sheep red blood cells without any cold incubation, i.e. they were 'early' rosettes, and higher percentage of human and horse erythrocyte rosettes were formed by these cells. Low doses of phytohaemagglutinin increased the proportion of rosettes between peripheral blood, tonsil, MLC cells and human and horse erythrocytes. PHA acted only on T cells, and not on B cells, lymphoblastoid B and other cell lines. On the ground of the stronger rosetting property of MLC blasts and tonsil cells, it is likely that the T cells responsible for binding of horse and human erythrocytes after PHA treatment are 'early' or 'active' rosetting cells.