Technical question for pathologists

[Dro133]

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Hi all,

Sorry if this isn't the right place for this. I spent about an hour searching the web for an answer and couldn't find anything, so I figured I'd come straight to the source.

My question is, is there any way for pathologists to distinguish T cells from B cells? I understand that there are many different forms of B cells, and that plasma cells are histologically distinct, but what about other types of B cells? Or are flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry really the only way to get to this level of detail?

Please excuse me if my question comes off as ignorant, I am merely a soon-to-be-matriculating student 🙂

 

[randomlogik]

Excluding plasma cells, T and B cells look identical by morphology. You need flow or ICH to tell them apart.

 

[yaah]

T-cells can be distinguished from B-cells by flow cytometry or immunostains.

Some types of reactive cells can have morphologies (like large granular lymphocytes) that suggest they are not B-cells, but basically you need flow.