Effects of a single oral dose of dinitrochlorobenzene on T lymphocyte distribution and migration in the gut.

In the present study the effects of a large oral dose of the contact allergen dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) on the distribution of T-cell subsets in the small intestines and the emigration pattern of lymphocytes from Peyer's patches were investigated. Apart from the inflammatory effects, DNCB administration resulted in an influx on the T-helper cells in the villi. Precise quantification of T lymphocytes showed a decrease in Peyer's patches and an increase in mesenteric lymph node cell suspensions. However, no differences could be found in the emigration rate of T-cell subsets from Peyer's patches into mesenteric lymph nodes, suggesting that the increase of T cells in mesenteric lymph nodes results from T-helper cells directly immigrating from the villi.