Reactivity of human lymphoid and lymphoblastoid cells with peanut agglutinin: detection of a blood cell subset which lacks detectable membrane HLA.

The number of cells reacting with fluorescein-labelled peanut agglutinin varies widely among human lymphoid organs. By separation techniques, reactive cells from tonsils were characterized as E-negative, non-immunoglobulin-bearing lymphocytes. In peripheral blood, the lectin reacted with a small percentage of lymphoid and monocytoid cells which lacked HLA membrane determinants but expressed the beta 2-microglobulin antigens. The latter phenotype was also found on human lymphoblastoid cell lines. Lectin binding thus provides an effective means of characterizing these cell subsets.