IMMUNOHISTOLOGICAL IDENTIFICATION OF THE ACTIVATED LYMPHOCYTES IN HUMAN PALATINE TONSIL

Abstract

Employing various monoclonal antibodies and immunoperoxidase technique, we studied the distribution of the activated lymphocytes in human tonsillar tissue. Both the activated T-cells positive for IL2-receptor (IL2-R) and the activated B-cells defined by L29 were seen in the interfollicular area. Vast majority of the lymphocytes in the germinal center was stained with the L29, the anti-transferrin-receptor antibody, and the Ki-67 antibody which reacts with cycling cells in G1, S, or G2+M phase. On the other hand, scarcely any cells in the mantle zone were stained with those. The Ki-67 positive cells in the germinal center were identified as two types of staining pattern, i. e., with strong nucleolar staining found in the dark zone and with nuclear staining found in the light zone. Small number of IL2-R positive cells was found in the mantle zone. The cell number per unit area of the activated lymphocytes in the interfollicular area as well as in the germinal center was decreased as the increment of patients' age. From these results, the im-munological activation system of T- and B-cells in the tonsils was discussed.