T cell binding to B lymphoid cell lines in humans: a marker for T-B cell interaction?

Binding of human circulating T cells to established normal and malignant B cell lines results in rosette formation. The percentage of B cells, circulating T cells, and thymocytes able to bind to the B-LCL Raji were 0%, 59 +/- 4% and 61 +/- 6%, respectively. The percentage of rosettes formed between Raji cells and circulating mononuclear cells from 92 normal individuals was 27.8 +/- 5.3%, and remained stable over several months. This phenomenon seems to involve relatively mature B cells, and a T cell marker which appears early in T cell ontogeny. In the peripheral blood, most of the B-LCL binding T cells exhibit a 'helper-inducer' phenotype, as determined with the monoclonal antibodies Leu 3a and OKT4. However, a significant percentage of T cells with so-called 'cytotoxic-suppressor' markers (Leu 2a and OKT8) also bind to B-LCL. The T cells involved in this morphological interactive reaction with B cells might conceivably be specifically involved in regulating B cell functions. Enumeration of this particular subset may be useful in conditions where abnormal T-B cell interactions are suspected.