title: The role of natural killer cells in human tonsillar tissue focussing on the change of tonsillar tissue with aging.
abstract: The natural killer (NK) activity of tonsillar lymphocytes is low and NK-cells are small in number. In tonsillar tissue, NK-cells were present in the germinal center, which is where B-cells are located. This suggests that B-cells are related to NK-cells. Judging from the rates of augmentation of NK-activity of INF-alpha, INF-beta, and from the fact that there is no difference in the rate of NK-activity augmentation between tonsillar and peripheral blood lymphocytes with IFN added, it is highly unlikely that there is much difference between the ratios of pre-NK cells and NK-cells. The fact that the NK-activity augmentation in the tonsil rose to approximately double that of peripheral blood on the addition of IL-2 suggests that the percentage of immature NK-cells is high in the tonsil. This supposition is in agreement with the morphological findings. In the infected and child tonsil, it is probable that NK-cells are at an immature stage, that NK-activity is low, that B-cells are active, and that immunoglobulin production is in progress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Fujita Gakuen Health University, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yagisawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Naito
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000032:analysis; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D007136:Immunoglobulins