Histamine receptor bearing leukocytes (HRL). I. Detection of histamine receptor bearing cells by rosette formation with histamine coated erythrocytes

A rosette technique is described for the enumeration and identification of histamine receptor bearing leukocytes (HRL). Mouse leukocytes from a variety of lymphoid tissues form rosettes with sheep erythrocytes coated with histamine rabbit serum albumin (RSA) conjugate. Rosette formation was specifically inhibited by either histamine RSA or by histamine, but not by RSA. The percentage of rosettes in lymphoid tissues of adult mice ranged from 8% in the thymus to 70% in the peritoneal exudate leukocytes. Spleen, bone marrow, peripheral blood, and lymph node cells produced intermediate numbers of rosettes (20 to 40%). Spleen and peritoneal exudate leukocytes derived from mice and rats immunized against allogeneic and syngeneic tumors, respectively, demonstrated a significantly lower frequency of HRL as compared with unsensitized cells. The vast majority of immune lymphoblasts, however, exhibited a high degree of rosette formation and were coated heavily with the indicator erythrocytes. Of particular interest was the observation that a number of tumor cells (four leukemias, one mastocytoma, and one plasmacytoma) showed little or no rosette formation.