Selective accumulation of cells with 'B' properties in stimulated lymph nodes

Abstract

Draining lymph nodes from mice which had been stimulated with bacterial adjuvants or the skin sensitizing agent, oxazolone, showed a marked increase in cell content, presumably due to lymphocyte immigration. A surprisingly large proportion of these cells exhibit properties of B lymphocytes: the presence of surface Ig, lack of Thy-1-like antigen and responsiveness to lopopolysaccharide (LPS). The relationship between the presence of surface markerand responses to class-specific mitogens, of cells from the stimulated nodes, was established by testing fractionated lymphocyte populations. Enriched T cells did not react to LPS, whereas removal of cells with Thy-1 antigen by specific antisera eliminated the reactions to T mitogens but had little or no effect on the LPS response. The data thus suggest that B cells, which make up a small portion of the circulating lymphocyte pool, are selectively accumulated in lymph nodes stimulated by different immunogens, including T-specific stimulants. This interpretation contradicts the generally accepted assumption, that stimulat lymph nodes trap mostly T lymphocytes.