Immunologic significance of intraepithelial lymphocytes in human palatine tonsils : Morphofunctional approach using immunoelectron microscopy and labeled antigen method

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The reticular mucosa covering the human palatine tonsils was characterized by the dense infiltration of mononuclear cells mainly consisting of B-cells and plasma cells and by the presence of the capillary network. The plasma cells predominantly containing IgG were distributed in the basal half of the reticular mucosa. Four kinds of B-cells were observed in the mucosa, including 1) bcl-2-positive and CD10/CD23-negative "marginal zone" -type, 2) sIgD/CD5/CD24-positive "mantle zone" type, 3) CD10/DNA7-positive "germinal center" type, and 4) CD11b-positive and CD16-negative "B-1" type. CD5-positive-B-cells were identified by double staining in immunoelectron microscopy. As for T-cells, CD4-positive T_H cells predominated in the mucosa, where a few putative extrathymic T-cells positive for CD56 and TCRgammadelta were distributed. Furtherstudies are required to clarify the functional significance of the phylogenetically old lymphoid cells, such as "B-1" type B-cells and "extrathymic" T-cells. Morphofunctional similarities between the reticular mucosa of the tonsil and the medulla of the thymus were noteworthy.Difficulties were encountered in the preparation of MBP-labeled fusion proteins for the "labeled antigen method" to demonstrate cells producing antibodies specific for Hemophilus influenzae. Random-labeling using the bacterial DNA was unsuccessful. Then we tried to prepare recombinant proteins containing fragments of H.influenzae-specific proteins such as protein D and fatty acid-binding proteins by using a PCR method.However, we do not yet obtain satisfactory results at present. Continuous effort will be made for the establishment of the method for labeled probes for this new approach.