Cell-mediated immune response to bacterial products in human tonsils and peripheral blood lymphocytes

Abstract

Lymphoproliferative responses of tonsillar tissue lymphocytes and peripheral blood lymphocytes to phytohemagglutinin and specific bacterial product antigens were studied in children undergoing tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. Tonsillar tissue lymphocytes responded to optimal concentrations of phytohemagglutinin. Varidase, and streptolysin-O in a manner similar to peripheral blood lymphocytes. Higher base-line mitogenic activity in tonsillar lymphocytes was frequently associated with the presence of Staphylococcus aureus in the tonsils. Tonsillar tissue lymphocytes from 23% of the subjects with the highest base-line mitogenic activity manifested a decreased response to in vitro stimulation with mitogens or antigens. In subjects with such preactivated tonsillar lymphocytes, the proliferative responsiveness of blood lymphocytes to mitogen and antigens was markedly increased after tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. These observations suggest the existence of in vitro correlates of cellular immunity to bacterial products in the mucosal surfaces. In addition, it is proposed that tonsils may possess immunosuppressive activity for peripheral blood lymphocytes, which may be related to local tonsillar infections.

Regulation of Th-1 T cell-dominated immunity to Neisseria meningitidis within the human mucosa

“…There is no appropriate animal model of meningococcal colonization currently available and both mucosal lymphoid organization and regulatory responses differ between rodent and human systems. We have therefore used human PT, a frequent location for meningococcal carriage and a likely site of immune induction (Drucker et al, 1979;Brandtzaeg et al, 1997), to investigate the cellular immune response to meningococcal antigens. We show that maturation of mucosal immunity to the meningococcus is characterized by the emergence of predominantly pro-inflammatory CD4 + CD45RO + memory T cells, controlled by cells with a GITR-regulatable CD4 + CD25 + phenotype.…”

Enzymatic study of Waldeyer’s ring lymphoid tissue: Activity of alkaline and acid phosphatase in palatinal tonsils and adenoids in children with recurrent infection of the ring

“…The mechanism of infectious influence is not yet clear. The assumption is that lymphocytes from diseased tonsils could be refractory or tolerant to these bacterial activators showing less degree of proliferation on stimulation with dominant bacterial antigens than healthy one (18,19). The problem of investigator is the fact that healthy tonsils could be hardly defined.…”

Induction of compartmentalized B-cell responses in human tonsils

“…immunization led to increased ASC responses associated with enlarged ASC precursor frequencies in a previously primed tonsil compared with those of a not previously injected tonsil. Previous studies have shown that tonsillar MNC can be induced to proliferate and differentiate into ASCs upon in vitro exposure to antigens normally encountered in the upper respiratory tract but not elsewhere (6,14,18,21). The results of this study confirm that tonsils can support the development of immunological memory and further indicate that such development is highly dependent on local antigen exposure.…”