Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Immunology logoLink to Immunology
. 1985 May;55(1):31–34.

Mechanism of follicular trapping: double immunocytochemical evidence for a contribution of locally produced antibodies in follicular trapping of immune complexes.

N van Rooijen, N Kors
PMCID: PMC1453580  PMID: 2581888

Abstract

Using two different antigen-enzyme conjugates and a double immunocytochemical staining technique, we demonstrate the localization patterns of two different specific antibodies in the same spleen section. During the early immune responses against simultaneously injected human gamma globulin (HGG), and bovine gamma globulin (BGG) in rabbits, the localization patterns of extracellular anti-HGG antibodies and extracellular anti-BGG antibodies in the follicles overlap only partly. It was shown in earlier studies that extracellular antibodies trapped in the follicles represent antigen-antibody complexes having free binding sites for the antigen. The fact that localization patterns do not overlap extensively, whereas it has been shown in earlier studies that follicular dendritic cells (FDCs) show no specificity with respect to the immune complexes to be captured, leads to the following conclusion. After formation of immune complexes from antibody molecules released by specific antibody-forming cells in the follicles and antigen present in excess between the cells, part of these complexes are trapped by adjacent FDCs. Results are discussed with respect to the possible role of follicular immune complexes in the generation of immunological memory.

Full text

PDF
31

Images in this article

33Figure 1
on p.33

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Chen L. L., Adams J. C., Steinman R. M. Anatomy of germinal centers in mouse spleen, with special reference to "follicular dendritic cells". J Cell Biol. 1978 Apr;77(1):148–164. doi: 10.1083/jcb.77.1.148. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Hanna M. G., Jr, Szakal A. K. Localization of 125I-labeled antigen in germinal centers of mouse spleen: histologic and ultrastructural autoradiographic studies of the secondary immune reaction. J Immunol. 1968 Nov;101(5):949–962. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Klaus G. G., Humphrey J. H., Kunkl A., Dongworth D. W. The follicular dendritic cell: its role in antigen presentation in the generation of immunological memory. Immunol Rev. 1980;53:3–28. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-065x.1980.tb01038.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Mandel T. E., Phipps R. P., Abbot A., Tew J. G. The follicular dendritic cell: long term antigen retention during immunity. Immunol Rev. 1980;53:29–59. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-065x.1980.tb01039.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Nossal G. J., Abbot A., Mitchell J., Lummus Z. Antigens in immunity. XV. Ultrastructural features of antigen capture in primary and secondary lymphoid follicles. J Exp Med. 1968 Feb 1;127(2):277–290. doi: 10.1084/jem.127.2.277. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Radoux D., Heinen E., Kinet-Denoël C., Tihange E., Simar L. Precise localization of antigens on follicular dendritic cells. Cell Tissue Res. 1984;235(2):267–274. doi: 10.1007/BF00217850. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Sordat B., Sordat M., Hess M. W., Stoner R. D., Cottier H. Specific antibody within lymphoid germinal center cells of mice after primary immunization with horseradish peroxidase: a light and electron microscopic study. J Exp Med. 1970 Jan 1;131(1):77–91. doi: 10.1084/jem.131.1.77. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Van Rooijen N., Kors N., Van Nieuwmegen R. Double immunocytochemical staining in the study of antibody-producing cells in vivo. Simultaneous detection of cells producing monospecific antibodies and cells producing cross-reacting antibodies in the spleen of rabbits after injection of two related antigens. J Histochem Cytochem. 1984 Aug;32(8):844–848. doi: 10.1177/32.8.6205046. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. van Rooijen N., Kors N., van Nieuwmegen R. Double immunocytochemical evidence for a clonal development of specific antibody-containing cells in the rabbit spleen. Anat Rec. 1984 Jul;209(3):385–390. doi: 10.1002/ar.1092090318. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. van Rooijen N., van Nieuwmegen R., Kors N., Eikelenboom P. The development of specific antibody-containing cells in the spleen of rabbits during the secondary immune response against free or liposome-associated albumin antigen. Anat Rec. 1984 Apr;208(4):579–587. doi: 10.1002/ar.1092080413. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Immunology are provided here courtesy of British Society for Immunology

RESOURCES