title: The rabbit M-cell marker vimentin is present in epithelial cells of the tonsil crypt.
abstract: The epithelium of the rabbit palatine tonsil was studied with vimentin immunohistochemistry, using cryosections and paraffin sections labelled with three monoclonal antibodies. Vimentin-positive epithelia[ cells were detected in crypt regions overlying lymphoid follicles but were absent from the surrounding stratified pharyngeal epithelium. The cells lay in close contact with intra-epithelial lymphocytes and their apical cytoplasm had a membranous shape. Since vimentin is a sensitive, specific marker for M-cells of the rabbit intestine, the present findings indicate that M-cells similar to those in the gut-associated lymphoid tissue occur in the tonsil.
authors.affiliation: Centre of Anatomy, Medical School of Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gebert
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Willführ
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pabst
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004848:Epithelium / Q000737:chemistry; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology*; D011817:Rabbits; D014746:Vimentin / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014746:Vimentin