[The morphofunctional characteristics of the palatine and pharyngeal tonsils in children with chronic tonsillitis and adenoids].

22 palatine and 10 pharyngeal tonsils of 20 children, 4 to 15 years of age, with chronic tonsillitis and adenoids were studied histologically and immunohistochemically. The material was obtained at tonsillectomy, adenotomy and adenotonsillectomy. The expression of LCA, CD20, CD45 RO, CD45 RA, CD68 and HLA DR-antigen was determined immunohistochemically. Functional heterogeneity of the whole lymphoid population in the tonsil tissue is structured by dividing lymphoid tissue into T- and B-regions. However, this subdivision is relative. Interpenetration of T- and B-cells into structurally determined functional zones reflects cooperative cell relations in the immune response the obligatory participant of which are non-lymphoid cells of the microenvironment: antigen-representing macrophages of the follicle germinative centres and reticular epitheliocytes in the regions of lymphoepithelial symbiosis. HLA-DR-antigen expression of the reticulum epithelium cells and the presence of activated T-lymphocytes in the lymphoepithelial symbiosis zones allow one to consider these zones as an immunoregulatory compartment of the tonsils.