title: Follicular dendritic cell activation in the harderian gland of the chicken.
abstract: The avian follicular dendritic cell changes that occur in the germinal center of the Harderian gland during the course of the immune response were studied by electron microscopy and the immunoperoxidase method was employed for the detection of S-100 protein. The chickens were injected twice with Salmonella O Antigen into the nictitating membrane at 9-day intervals. The follicular dendritic cells exhibited filiform processes at between 24 and 96 h after the second antigen administration. Filiform dendrites tended to convolute near the cell body. Therefore, it can be assumed that these processes make it more difficult for macrophages and B cells to make contact with the immune complexes retained by the follicular dendritic cells and, as a consequence, the period of antigen handling by these cells increases. Evidence is provided that the dendritic processes are closely associated with both lymphoblasts and lymphocytes. Furthermore, S-100 protein was found in the abovementioned cells exclusively and only in those cells where filiform dendrites were observed. These findings suggest that, during a secondary immune response, the follicular dendritic cell undergoes a functional activation which involves morphological changes and the phenotypic expression of the S-100 protein. This activation is hypothesized to be similar to that described for follicular dendritic cells in mammals after fixing immune complex.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: del Cacho
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gallego
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Marcotegui
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bascuas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000276:immunology*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006243:Harderian Gland / Q000276:immunology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D019081:O Antigens; D011105:Polyisoprenyl Phosphate Sugars / Q000276:immunology; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D019081:O Antigens; C062656:O-specific polysaccharide, Salmonella; D011105:Polyisoprenyl Phosphate Sugars; D009418:S100 Proteins