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In this review, we shall highlight some recent advances in mucosal immunology and also those concepts which seem to us to merit more attention than they normally receive. Since we cannot hope to be all inclusive, we recommend the following articles and books to the reader (Tomasi & Bienenstock, 1968; Tomasi & Grey, 1972; Bienenstock, 1974; Heremans, 1974; Mestecky & Lawton, 1974; Lamm, 1976; Tomasi, 1976; Waksman & Ozer, 1976; Porter & Knight, 1977; McGhee, Mestecky & Babb, 1978; Ogra & Dayton, 1979; Befus & Bienenstock, 1980).

The experiments described in this paper have examined the migration of three fluorochrome-labelled T-lymphocyte subsets (CD4+, CD8+ and gamma delta+T19+) on a single passage from blood to lymph, through prescapular lymph nodes. Lymphocytes obtained from prescapular efferent lymph were labelled in vitro with fluorochrome and returned to the blood of the same animal. Over the next 2 days, lymph was continuously monitored and the cells in all collections, including the one used for intravenous infusion, were phenotyped and analysed by flow cytometry. Significant differences in the subset ratios between the infused, starting population and the recirculated population indicated that CD4+ and gamma delta+T19+ lymphocytes are extracted by a resting lymph node at the same rate and that both are extracted at a faster rate than CD8+ lymphocytes. The results presented here also suggest that a unique subset of gamma delta+T19+ lymphocytes may be present in blood that does not recirculate through peripheral lymph nodes.

The fractionation of a partially-purified extract of Dermatophagoïdes farinae mite culture has been undertaken by gel filtration. Two fractions were isolated. One, P25, is a protein-rich fraction with mol. wt about 25,000. The other, GP8, is a polysaccharide-rich fraction with mol. wt around 8,000. By crossed immunoelectrophoresis, we detected eleven antigens in the partially-purified dialysed D. farinae extract (Df 80d) as well as in P25 fraction. One of them, ag 11, seems the most important allergen since in crossed-radio immunoelectrophoresis experiments it displays the faster radiostaining, implying that it binds the greatest part of the mite-specific IgE present in a pool of sera from mite-sensitive patients. By crossed-line immunoelectrophoresis, we demonstrated the absence of ag 11 in GP8, in which only ag 5 and ag 6 were identifiable. By radioalloergosorbent tests (RAST), it was found that P25- and GP8- coated paper discs can fix specific IgE induced in the majority of D. farinae sensitive patients. Defining a 'major allergen' as an allergen to which the majority of sensitive patients develop specific IgE, both P25 and GP8 do appear to contain at least one major allergen. By RAST inhibition method, using Df 80d as a solid phase, the allergenic activity of P25 appeared as slightly higher than that of Df 80d, whereas GP8 displayed a very weak inhibitor capacity. Thus, the allergic specificity of GP8 differs from that of Df 80d or P25.

The present paper describes a new monoclonal antibody (KB61) raised against hairy cell leukaemia cells. Antibody KB61 recognizes a molecule of approximately 40,000 molecular weight on human B cells. It reacts with B lymphocytes in the peripheral blood, in primary lymphoid follicles, in the mantle zone of secondary follicles, in interfollicular areas and in splenic marginal zone areas. However, germinal centre lymphoid cells do not express the antigen recognized by antibody KB61. The antibody shows limited reactivity outside the lymphoid system, i.e. polymorphs, tissue macrophages endothelial cells in the hepatic sinusoids. Antibody KB61 discriminates between different types of B-cell malignancies, reacting with the neoplastic cells in hairy cell leukaemia, chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (of B-cell type), prolymphocytic leukaemia and centrocytic lymphoma, but not with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, germinal centre-derived lymphomas (other than centrocytic), Burkitt's lymphoma and lymphoblastic lymphoma. Antibody KB61 may be of value in the study of B-cell subpopulations and in the differential diagnosis of B-cell neoplasms.

One of the T suppressor circuits induced by picrylsulphonic acid includes the T suppressor cell (Ts-eff) which acts at the efferent stage of the contact sensitivity reaction and produces antigen-specific T suppressor factor (TsF). This factor does not act directly but arms a T acceptor cell (Tacc). This Tacc liberates a non-specific inhibitor when it is armed with TsF and then exposed to picrylated cells sharing the I-J genotype of the source of the TsF. This paper investigates the role of I-J region gene products in this T suppressor circuit. Two approaches were used. Syngeneic CBA (H-2k) lymphocytes were separated into I-J+ and I-J- cells by treatment with anti-I-Jk serum followed by panning on anti-immunoglobulin plates. The cells were then picrylated and used as a source of antigen. Alternatively, B10.A congeneic mice syngeneic (5R) or allogeneic (3R) with CBA at the I-J locus were picrylated and used similarly. The main findings were as follows. (i) The intravenous injection of picrylated I-J+ spleen cells but not a similar number of I-J- cells induced Ts-eff which blocked the transfer of contact sensitivity. Picrylated unseparated cells syngeneic, but not allogeneic, at the I-J locus were also effective. (ii) It is known that the lymphocytes of mice injected wit picrylsulphonic acid and then re-exposed to antigen by painting with picryl chloride liberate TsF in vitro. The re-exposure to antigen can be replaced by the intravenous injection of picrylated I-J+ cells or by cells syngeneic at the I-J locus the day before harvesting the spleen cells. (iii) The release of non-specific inhibitor by Tacc armed with TsF requires exposure to picrylated I-J+ cells or cells syngeneic at the I-J locus. The requirement for antigen on a cell bearing syngeneic I-J suggests that antigen together with I-J is an activation signal in this T-cell circuit. The simplest explanation is that the receptor of the pristine Ts and of the mature Ts-eff is similar to T suppressor factor.

CBA/N mice harbour an X-linked B cell defect which is transmitted by CBA/N female mice to their hybrid male progeny. These mice mount normal responses to thymus-dependent (TD) and some thymus-independent (TI-1) antigens, while the response to TI-2 antigens is absent. Hapten-specific plaque-forming cell (PFC) responses to TD antigens can be blockaded by concomitant exposure of these mice to TI-2 antigens bearing the same hapten. This paper investigates in defective mice the blockade of their response to TNP3-LPS (trinitrophenylated lipopolysaccharide, a TI-1 antigen), imposed by DNP59-Ficoll (dinitrophenylated Ficoll, a TI-2 antigen). The effectiveness of the blocking agent, DNP59-Ficoll, differed in various inbred mouse strains: CBA/N X C3H/HeN F1 male greater than CBA/N female greater than CBA/N X C3H/HeN F1 female. The role of T cells in the observed hapten-specific blockade phenomenon was investigated using athymic CBA/N nude mice and a B cell tolerogen. Our findings indicate that T cell participation is not essential for the blockade of CBA/N PFC responses and they suggest that direct blockade of TI- and TD-responsive B cell populations is likely to occur.

This paper describes a rather simple coupling method for tripeptide enlarged haptens to phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and the incorporation of these conjugates into liposomal model membranes (haptenated liposomes). These haptenated liposomes evoke a hapten-specific humoral immune response in mice. The magnitude of the response as measured by the appearance of direct plaque forming cells in the spleen is dependent on the route of immunization and the dose and epitope density of the hapten-PE derivatives. It was not possible to evoke an IgG response after either primary or secondary immunization with haptenated liposomes (as measured by the production of indirect plaques or mercaptoethanol-resistant antibody). These data, in addition to the observations that mice depleted of, or deficient in thymus-derived (T) lymphocytes respond to haptenated liposomes, indicate that these haptenated liposomes are T-cell independent antigens.

This paper describes a new method for the morphological study of individual antibody-forming cells (AFC) on cell smears of the quality of normal haematological preparations.

Data presented in this paper indicate that by column chromatography using an O acetylated galactan, a considerable degree of purification of specific antibody to O antigen 5 may be achieved.