Application of cell electrophoretic methods (preparative and analytical) in demonstrating the surface heterogeneity of T-lymphocytes in man.

The preparative electrophoretic method allows separation of several cell populations, which can be characterized by the usual membrane markers. This qualitative study shows a heterogeneous distribution of the T-lymphocytes from the most rapid to the slowest migration zones. The electrophoretic mobility (E.M.) of each fraction has been studied by analytical electrophoresis, which confirms the heterogeneity of T-cells. The experiments used total blood lymphocytes and rosette-forming cells with sheep red blood cells. The results obtained with the two methods were well correlated. The average migration speed of the separated populations showed a regular variation from one extreme fraction to the other. The E.M. speeds that characterize the main populations are--0.90 micrometer.sec.--1v.--1cm for the B-lymphocytes; for the T-lymphocytes,--1.10 (previously identified as the "low affinity" E-rosette FC),--1.20 and a small population centered around--1.35 (corresponding to active E rosette FC). In the T-lymphocytes separated after E-rosetting, the progresssive variation in the mean E.M. of each fraction is confirmed, as well as the existence of the previous 3 T-cell populations. Further studies have to be done, to show that each separated population does correspond with a functional differentiation.