The postnatal development of the white pulp in the rat spleen and the onset of immunocompetence against a thymus-independent and a thymus-dependent antigen.

The spleen of the rat contains 5 well delineated compartments: a central and peripheral part of the periarteriolar lymphatic sheath (PALS), the marginal zone and the follicle with centre and corona. A study was made on the development of these compartments in correlation with the onset of immunocompetence of the spleen. The spleens of animals in the age range from 1-40 days were studied with the light and electron microscopes. Immunocompetence was assessed by measuring serum antibody levels 5 days after intravenous antigen administration. Comparable doses of paratyphoid vaccin (PTV) and sheep red blood cells (SRBC) were used: PTV as a thymus-independent, SRBC as a thymus-dependent antigen. At the first day of life few lymphocytes are present around small arterioles. The marginal zone is first present at 9 days of age. At 14 days of age the typical thymus-dependent area develops. Interdigitating cells, which seem to develop from monocytes, and lymphocytes are present in close apposition. Primary follicles were first seen on 20 days of age, follicle centres at 25 or 30 days of age. The appearance of "typical" dendritic cells coincided with the appearance of follicle centres. The first titre against PTV was seen after antigen administration at 9 days after birth, against SRBC after injection in 14 days old animals. As PTV is a thymus-independent antigen it needs only B-cells for a primary IgM response. The appearance of functional B-cells in sufficient numbers to give a measurable response therefore coincides with the appearance of the marginal zone. Although T-cells are present from birth, the response against SRBC is delayed until the thymus-dependent area has developed. Thus, in the first 2 weeks of life, T-cells are either immature, or they are not able to react, because their microenvironment is not yet adequate.