Studies on the cell-mediated immune response of tonsillar lymphocytes with regard to the clinical course and patient's age

Abstract

There was no statistically significant difference in the intensity of the cell-mediated immune response of tonsillar T cells among different pathological conditions of the tonsils nor among different age groups. The tonsillar cell population of the adult was smaller than that of the child. Tonsillar cells were separated into 3 fractions with different specific gravities. In tonsillar cells from adults, fraction III consisting mainly of small lymphocytes with a high specific gravity occupied a larger portion than in those from children. Fraction I consisting of cells with a low specific gravity had a greater number of cells in the swollen tonsils of children than in the tonsils of adults. However, the absolute numbers of the cells in fraction III in adults and in children were nearly the same. The proportion of T cells in fraction III was higher than in fraction I. Hence, the proportion of T cells in adults' tonsils is higher than in children's tonsils. The cells composing fraction I include some cells that have undergone blastoid transformation in response to various stimuli and some lymphoid cells that are ontogenetically immature T cells, besides mature T cells. The cells composing fraction III include fully mature T cells and the total cell population of fraction III does not differ significantly with age. It seems likely that the child's tonsil contains a larger number of cells under antigenic stimulation or in preparation for immune response than does the adult's tonsil.