title: The chicken's femoral-lymph nodules: T and B cells and the immune response.
abstract: Femoral lymph nodules (FLN), which are barely perceptible in normal birds, after a footpad injection of sheep red blood cells (SRBC) may either significantly enlarge (responder) or remain reduced in size (nonresponder). There were approximately 38% T cells and 53% B cells in the FLN of responder chickens. Significantly more plaque-forming cells (PFC) developed in the FLN than in the spleen after a footpad injection of SRBC. Total antibody, mercaptoethanol- (ME) resistant, and ME-sensitive fractions were significantly higher in birds given i.v. than in those given footpad injections. There were no differences in PFC and agglutinin titers between FLN-responders and nonresponders. The number of PFC in FLN exceeded the number of splenic PFC previously reported. The high PFC response of the FLN may reflect the large percentage of B cells in this lymphomyeloid tissue or the presence of antigen-experienced B cells in the FLN. Although FLN may influence a systemic immune response its major role appears to be restricted to a local response.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002645:Chickens; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005269:Femur; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology*; D008623:Mercaptoethanol / Q000494:pharmacology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D008623:Mercaptoethanol