[Palatine tonsils and immunity. IV. Lymphocyte blast transformation in various lymphoid organs of animals immunized with microbial antigens].

For the purpose of ascertaining the peculiarities of cellular differentiation of lymphoid cells of the palatine tonsils experiments were conducted on rabbits immunized intravenously and subcutaneously with streptococcus and paratyphoid B antigens; a study was made (in the blast-transformation reaction) of a comparative response of the lymphocytes of the palatine tonsils, the thymus, the spleen, the appendix and the regional lymph node. In case of stimulation with the specific microbial antigens and PHA the proliferative response was greater in the culture of the splenic lymphocytes and the regional lymph node than in the culture of the lymphocytes of the palatine tonsils and the appendix. The thymus lymphocytes responded to PHA only. A conclusion was drawn that the paratyphoid B and streptococcus antigens penetrating into the lymphoid tissue by hematogenic route stimulated a relatively low percentage of lymphocytes of the palatine tonsils and the appendix in comparison with the regional lymph node and the spleen.