Selective accumulation of cells with 'B' properties in stimulated lymph nodes.

Draining lymph nodes from mice which had been stimulated with bacterial adjuvants or the skin sensitizing agent, oxazolone, showed a marked increase in cell content, presumably due to lymphocyte immigration. A surprisingly large proportion of these cells exhibit properties of B lymphocytes: the presence of surface Ig, lack of Thy-1-like antigen and responsiveness to lopopolysaccharide (LPS). The relationship between the presence of surface markerand responses to class-specific mitogens, of cells from the stimulated nodes, was established by testing fractionated lymphocyte populations. Enriched T cells did not react to LPS, whereas removal of cells with Thy-1 antigen by specific antisera eliminated the reactions to T mitogens but had little or no effect on the LPS response. The data thus suggest that B cells, which make up a small portion of the circulating lymphocyte pool, are selectively accumulated in lymph nodes stimulated by different immunogens, including T-specific stimulants. This interpretation contradicts the generally accepted assumption, that stimulat lymph nodes trap mostly T lymphocytes.