Skip to main content
PMC home page
Immunology logoLink to Immunology
. 1984 Jul;52(3):529–537.

Immunoglobulin-containing cells and the origin of immunoglobulins in the respiratory tract of sheep.

R Scicchitano, A J Husband, A W Cripps
PMCID: PMC1454482  PMID: 6540243

Abstract

The amounts of immunoglobulins formed in the respiratory tract of sheep were investigated by comparing the distribution of radiolabelled immunoglobulin between plasma and lymph from the caudal mediastinal lymph node efferent duct which drains 50-70% of lung lymph. In addition, immunoglobulin-containing cells in the lymph node lymph and in the respiratory mucosa were counted by immunofluorescence. Whereas 91.6 +/- 5.92% and 67.73 +/- 10.07% of IgG1 and IgG2 respectively were plasma-derived, only 35.89 +/- 7.09% of IgA was plasma-derived. IgM and albumin were wholly plasma-derived. There was no evidence for selective transport of any immunoglobulins from plasma into lymph. It was estimated that mediastinal lymph node lymph contributed 0.12 g IgA to the circulation daily, the bulk of this being of local origin. There were only few cells expressing IgA in the caudal mediastinal lymph node and its efferent lymph indicating that, unlike gut-associated lymphoid tissue, bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue in sheep is not a major site of IgA cell precursor production. Despite this finding, IgA was the most frequent isotype of Ig-expressing cells in the respiratory mucosa and it is concluded that the locally formed IgA in lymph node lymph originated from mucosal plasma cells. IgM- and IgG-expressing cells were much less numerous than IgA-cells in the mucosa, but were the predominant isotype in the caudal mediastinal lymph node and regional lymph nodes and in mediastinal lymph node efferent lymph. These experiments have established that the respiratory tract of sheep is qualitatively similar to the intestine with respect to immunoglobulin synthesis in that the bulk of IgA is locally derived and a smaller but significant local contribution of IgG1 and IgG2 occurs, but that it is a poor source of IgA cell precursors. This implies that the IgA plasma cell population in the respiratory mucosa probably originates from distant mucosal sites.

Full text

PDF
529

Selected References

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

  1. ALLEN T. H. Extraction of T-1824 in the presence of gross hemolysis and lipemia. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1951 Jan;76(1):145–147. doi: 10.3181/00379727-76-18417. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Allan E. M., Pirie H. M., Selman I. E., Wiseman A. Immunoglobulin containing cells in the bronchopulmonary system of non-pneumonic and pneumonic calves. Res Vet Sci. 1979 May;26(3):349–355. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Beh K. J. The origin of IgA-containing cells in intestinal lymph of sheep. Aust J Exp Biol Med Sci. 1977 Jun;55(3):263–274. doi: 10.1038/icb.1977.21. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Beh K. J., Watson D. L., Lascelles A. K. Concentrations of immunoglobulins and albumin in lymph collected from various regions of the body of the sheep. Aust J Exp Biol Med Sci. 1974 Feb;52(1):81–86. doi: 10.1038/icb.1974.6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Bradley P. A., Bourne F. J., Brown P. J. The respiratory tract immune system in the pig. I. Distribution of immunoglobulin-containing cells in the respiratory tract mucosa. Vet Pathol. 1976;13(2):81–89. doi: 10.1177/030098587601300201. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Brandon M. R., Watson D. L., Lascelles A. K. The mechanism of transfer of immunoglobulin into mammary secretion of cows. Aust J Exp Biol Med Sci. 1971 Dec;49(6):613–623. doi: 10.1038/icb.1971.67. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Brigham K. L., Woolverton W. C., Blake L. H., Staub N. C. Increased sheep lung vascular permeability caused by pseudomonas bacteremia. J Clin Invest. 1974 Oct;54(4):792–804. doi: 10.1172/JCI107819. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Cooper J. M., Rowley D. Clearance of bacteria from lungs of mice after opsonising with IgG or IgA. Aust J Exp Biol Med Sci. 1979 Jun;57(3):279–285. doi: 10.1038/icb.1979.31. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Cripps A. W., Rothwell T. L. Immune responses of sheep to the parasitic nematode Trichostrongylus colubriformis: infections in Thiry-Vella loops. Aust J Exp Biol Med Sci. 1978 Feb;56(1):99–106. doi: 10.1038/icb.1978.10. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Cripps A. W., Virgin R. J., Lewins E. G., Clancy R. L. Radioimmunoassay of human IgG, IgA and IgM. J Immunol Methods. 1983 Feb 25;57(1-3):185–195. doi: 10.1016/0022-1759(83)90077-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Gorin A. B., Gould J. Immunoglobulin synthesis in the lungs and caudal mediastinal lymph node of sheep. J Immunol. 1979 Sep;123(3):1339–1342. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Johnston N. W., Bienenstock J. Abolition of non-specific fluorescent staining of eosinophils. J Immunol Methods. 1974 Mar;4(2):189–194. doi: 10.1016/0022-1759(74)90060-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Kaltreider H. B., Chan M. K. The class-specific immunoglobulin composition of fluids obtained from various levels of the canine respiratory tract. J Immunol. 1976 Feb;116(2):423–429. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Kazmierowski J. A., Durbin W. A., Reynolds H. Y. Kinetics of immunoglobulin transport into canine bronchial secretions. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1976 Sep;152(4):493–498. doi: 10.3181/00379727-152-39425. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. McDermott M. R., Bienenstock J. Evidence for a common mucosal immunologic system. I. Migration of B immunoblasts into intestinal, respiratory, and genital tissues. J Immunol. 1979 May;122(5):1892–1898. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Morgan K. L., Hussein A. M., Newby T. J., Bourne F. J. Quantification and origin of the immunoglobulins in porcine respiratory tract secretions. Immunology. 1980 Nov;41(3):729–736. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Pahud J. J., Mach J. P. Identification of secretory IgA, free secretory piece and serum IgA in the ovine and caprine species. Immunochemistry. 1970 Aug;7(8):679–686. doi: 10.1016/0019-2791(70)90174-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Quin J. W., Husband A. J., Lascelles A. K. The origin of the immunoglobulins in intestinal lymph of sheep. Aust J Exp Biol Med Sci. 1975 Jun;53(3):205–214. doi: 10.1038/icb.1975.21. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Reynolds H. Y., Kazmierowski J. A., Newball H. H. Specificity of opsonic antibodies to enhance phagocytosis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by human alveolar macrophages. J Clin Invest. 1975 Aug;56(2):376–385. doi: 10.1172/JCI108102. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Sheldrake R. F., Husband A. J., Watson D. L., Cripps A. W. Selective transport of serum-derived IgA into mucosal secretions. J Immunol. 1984 Jan;132(1):363–368. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Soutar C. A. Distribution of plasma cells and other cells containing immunoglobulin in the respiratory tract of normal man and class of immunoglobulin contained therein. Thorax. 1976 Apr;31(2):158–166. doi: 10.1136/thx.31.2.158. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Staub N. C., Bland R. D., Brigham K. L., Demling R., Erdmann A. J., 3rd, Woolverton W. C. Preparation of chronic lung lymph fistulas in sheep. J Surg Res. 1975 Nov;19(5):315–320. doi: 10.1016/0022-4804(75)90056-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Watson D. L., Brandon M. R., Lascelles A. K. Concentrations of immunoglobulin in mammary secretion of ruminants during involution with particular reference to selective transfer of IgG. Aust J Exp Biol Med Sci. 1972 Aug;50(4):535–539. doi: 10.1038/icb.1972.46. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Weicker J., Underdown B. J. A study of the association of human secretory component with IgA and IgM proteins. J Immunol. 1975 Apr;114(4):1337–1344. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES