THE IMMUNOLOGIC ROLE OF TONSILLAR TISSUES IN LOCAL CELL-MEDIATED IMMUNE RESPONSES

The present studies were performed to compare local cell-mediated immune (CMI) responses of tonsillar lymphoid tissues with those of systemic CMI employing lymphoproliferative responses to PHA, T-rosette formation, and specific rubella CMI studies using a 51Cr lymphocytotoxic microassay. Suspensions of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PEL) and tonsillar tissue lymphocytes (TTL), obtained from 12 subjects ranging in age from 5 to 22 years, were purified by hypaque-ficoll sedimentation and adjusted to equal concentrations. The mean ± SD responses to PHA were 56,642 ± 10,329 cpm for PEL and 38,851 ± 6,804 cpm for TTL (p > 0.6); the mean ± SD values for T-rosette formation were 30 ± 1.7% for PBL and 36.4 ± 3.8% for TTL (p > 0.1); the mean ± SD rubella specific immune release was 13.8 ± 3.7% with PBL compared to 12.6 ± 3.3% for TTL (p > 0.9). No correlation was demonstrated between serum rubella HAI antibody titers and local or systemic rubella specific CMI or between local and systemic rubella specific CMI. These results provide further evidence for the role of local CMI to viruses at mucosal surfaces and suggest the participation of tousillar tissues in these responses.