正常中耳粘膜における免疫担当細胞の分布

マウスにおける免疫組織化学的検討

抄録

We investigated distribution patterns of immunocompetent cells in nomal middle ear (ME) mucosa of mice fed in three different conditions; germ-free (GF), specific-pathogen-free (SPF) and conventional (CV) condition. ME mucosa was stained with immunoperoxidase technique using various polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies. Mast cells, Mac-1⁺ cells (macrophages and granulocytes), lymphocytes were seen in that order of frequency. In mucosa of CV mice, IgA⁺, IgM⁺ and Lyt-1⁺ cells were observed. However, in case of GF and SPF mice, IgM⁺ cells were only seen. IgG⁺ cells were scarcely seen in ME mucosa of one CV mouse out of 5 animals, but Lyt-2⁺ cells were not detected at all. Moreover, immunocompetent cells in ME mucosa of CV mice were seen with much lower number than that of nasal mucosa. These results suggest that ME can be hardly exposed to antigenic stimulation.