Cytochemical identification of T and B cells in situ in mouse lymphoid tissue and lymph nodes from the rat, gerbil and cat.

The use of enzymes as markers of T or B cells in tissue sections has been studied in mouse lymphoid tissue and lymph nodes from the gerbil, rat and cat. Lymphocytes in the T-cell areas of murine lymph nodes and spleen contained discrete dots of non-specific esterase and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (beta-glucosaminidase) activity, with weak acid phosphatase activity. Lymphocytes in the B-cell areas lacked this discrete staining. Cortical thymocytes contained slight esterase activity while medullary thymocytes were strongly positive for both esterase and beta-glucosaminidase. Lymphocytes with a T-cell staining pattern were only occasionally seen in lymph nodes from Nude (nu/nu) mice. ATPase staining was restricted to lymphocytes in the B-cell areas; weak 5'-nucleotidase staining was only present in a frew lymphocytes in both T- and B-cell areas. Blast cells stimulated by in vivo injection of ConA or PHA in the mouse showed strong discrete enzyme activity for non-specific esterase and beta-glucosaminidase. Lipopolysaccharide-stimulated blast cells and cells within germinal centres lacked this discrete staining. Comparison of lymph nodes from the gerbil, rat and cat suggested at least on enzymes as a T-cell marker in each species although considerable variation in staining profiles was seen in the different species.