Cells involved in the immune response. XXVIII. the cellular composition of the lymphoid organs in the normal outbred rabbit.

Horse anti-rabbit spleen cell antiserum was obtained by the intravenous immunization of horses with rabbit spleen cells. The antisera obtained were analysed for their lymphocytotoxic activity with respect to the lymphoid cells of the different lymphoid organs prior to and following absorption with the different lymphoid cells. The results have been integrated with those obtained in previous investigations and an all-embracing concept of the interrelationship of the lymphoid cells in the different lymphoid organs in the rabbit has emerged. The distinction between the heretofore considered central lymphoid organs (bone marrow and thymus) and peripheral lymphoid organs (spleen, lymph node and appendix) has been blurred by the finding that, at least in the rabbit, appendix cells possess specific antigen markers and participate in cell-mediated immune reactions in vitro and the observation that the spleen also has a central lymphoid function in the generation of cells in vivo capable of carrying out a cell-mediated immune reaction in vitro. It is concluded that the distinction of central and peripheral lymphoid function may be an artificial one in that it may reflect a function of the particular organ in only one of the many different types of immune reactions and that it should not influence the investigator in the elucidation of the cellular mechanisms participating in the mediation of the different immune responses.