Rosette formation with mouse erythrocytes. III. Studies in patients with primary immunodeficiency and lymphoproliferative disorders.

Rosette formation with mouse erythrocytes and other cell-surface markers were examined on lymphocytes from patients with a variety of primary immunodeficiency and lymphoproliferative disorders. Mouse erythrocyte rosette-forming cells and lymphocytes with surface immunoglobulins were regularly absent in patients with Bruton type agammaglobulinaemia, immunodeficiency and thymoma syndrome and severe combined immunodeficiency disease. However, they were present in normal or low numbers in patients with common variable immunodeficiency, selective IgA deficiency and ataxis telangiectasia. Lymphocytes from patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia Sezary syndrome and mycosis fungoides made no or few rosettes with mouse erythrocytes. Increased numbers of mouse erythrocyte rosette-forming cells were present in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and Waldenstrom's macroglobulinaemia. The significance of the mouse erythrocyte rosette as a B-cell marker in the analysis of primary immunodeficiency and lymphoproliferative disorders is discussed.