Close P M, Pringle J H, Ruprai A K, West K P, Lauder I
Department of Pathology, University of Leicester, Leicester Royal Infirmary, U.K.
J Pathol. 1990 Nov;162(3):209-16. doi: 10.1002/path.1711620306.
Immunohistologic studies have shown that synthesis of cytoplasmic immunoglobulin (cIg) is a normal function of some follicle centre cells (FCCs). The mechanisms regulating this synthesis of immunoglobulin and its function within the germinal centre are still poorly understood. In this study we applied a recently developed in situ hybridization method for the detection of kappa and lambda light chain mRNA to reactive lymph nodes and tonsils in order to investigate further the immunoglobulin-synthesizing cells of the germinal centre. FCCs containing detectable levels of light chain mRNA corresponded closely to cells containing cIg. The detection of light chain mRNA rather than its immunoglobulin product was found to be an advantage in that problems associated with the detection of extracellular immunoglobulin were eliminated. This was most apparent in germinal centres where the absence of 'network' immunoglobulin led to the observations that immunoglobulin-synthesizing FCCs are predominantly small centrocytes and that in a proportion of germinal centres they localize in that part of the light zone closest to the dark zone. This zonal distribution of immunoglobulin-synthesizing FCCs raises the possibility of further functional and micro-environmental subcompartments within the light zone.
免疫组织学研究表明，细胞质免疫球蛋白（cIg）的合成是一些滤泡中心细胞（FCCs）的正常功能。调节免疫球蛋白合成及其在生发中心内功能的机制仍知之甚少。在本研究中，我们将一种最近开发的用于检测κ和λ轻链mRNA的原位杂交方法应用于反应性淋巴结和扁桃体，以进一步研究生发中心的免疫球蛋白合成细胞。含有可检测水平轻链mRNA的FCCs与含有cIg的细胞密切对应。发现检测轻链mRNA而非其免疫球蛋白产物具有优势，因为消除了与细胞外免疫球蛋白检测相关的问题。这在生发中心最为明显，那里缺乏“网络”免疫球蛋白导致观察到免疫球蛋白合成FCCs主要是小中心细胞，并且在一定比例的生发中心中，它们位于最靠近暗区的亮区部分。免疫球蛋白合成FCCs的这种区域分布增加了亮区内进一步的功能和微环境亚区室化的可能性。
