title: Normal uterine cervix: characterization of isolated lymphocyte phenotypes and immunoglobulin secretion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Isolation of viable cervical lymphocyte populations and characterization of their function in healthy tissue is necessary to understand immunity in the genital tract.
  
  
  METHODS
  Normal, cervical tissue was digested using a multi-enzymatic digestion procedure. Lymphocytes were characterized using FACS analysis and ELISPOT analysis for immunoglobulin secreting cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Following the digestion procedure, 0.16 x 10(6) +/- 0.8 cells/g of tissue with a viability of 90-98% were isolated from normal cervical tissue. FACS analysis determined that B lymphocytes were the predominant cell type in normal cervical tissue representing a significantly higher percentage than that found in peripheral blood (P = 0.015). T lymphocytes and NK cells represented a significantly lower percentage than that found in peripheral blood (P = 0.0001 and 0.026, respectively). The largest percentage of immunoglobulin secreting cells isolated were secreting IgG followed by IgA. A limited number of IgM secreting cells were detected. IgA2 secreting cells represented 34.46 +/- 4.6% of the total number of IgA plasma cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These studies represent the first analysis of viable mononuclear cells isolated from normal cervical tissue. The results form a baseline from which it will now be possible to compare changes that occur at the cervical squamocolumnar junction in response to infection or neoplasia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ob/Gyn and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, PA, USA.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Crowley-Nowick
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McCallister
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gore
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kanbour-Shakir
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mestecky
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Partridge
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000145:classification; D002469:Cell Separation; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000145:classification* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D007136:Immunoglobulins