The E-rosette augmenting factor (E-RAF): aspects of clinical application.

It has recently been demonstrated that antigen- or mitogen-stimulated normal lymphocytes release a soluble E-rosette augmenting factor (E-RAF) which enhances E-rosette formation. Using this enhanced E-rosette formation as an immunologic marker, we studied lymphocytes from twelve normal volunteers, ten patients with chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis and one male patient with severe combined immune deficiency (SCID). These studies confirmed the observation that lymphocytes from normal donors respond to mitogen or specific antigen stimulation by release of E-RAF and increased E-rosette formation. Lymphocytes from the SCID patient were unable to release the soluble factor following mitogenic stimulation and increased E-rosette formation did not occur. Furthermore, our data indicated that short-term incubation (18 hr) of normal lymphocytes in mitogen (PHA or Con A)-derived supernatant fluids containing the soluble factor may offer a reliable and highly reproducible assay technique for total E-rosettes.