DISTRIBUTION OF LYMPHOID-CELLS IN TONSILLAR COMPARTMENTS IN RELATION TO INFECTION AND AGE - A QUANTITATIVE STUDY USING IMAGE-ANALYSIS

The distribution of lymphoid cells in the mantle zone, germinal center, interfollicular area, and subepithelial area of the tonsil was evaluated quantitatively by image analysis in 66 subjects aged 3 to 66 years. The number of Ig-positive cells in the tonsil decreased with advancing years in all compartments. This inverse correlation to age was statistically significant for IgD-, IgM-, and IgG-positive cells. For T-cells, overall change of each T-cell subset with age was smaller than those of Ig-positive cells. An age-related marked decline was seen for CD4-positive cells only in the subepithelial area and for CD8-positive cells only in the interfollicular area. Ki-67-positive cells, cells undergoing active division, were mainly found in the germinal centers and also diminished with advancing years. Patients with frequent episodes of tonsillitis demonstrated a significant increase of IgD-positive cells and IgG-positive cells in interfollicular and subepithelial compartments and a decrease of CD4-positive T-cells in the germinal centers and subepithelial areas. These results suggest that the tonsillar involution with age is immunologically associated in all compartments with the decrease of Ig-positive cells and Ki-67-positive activated cells resulting in a relative increase of T-cell subsets. The method of image analysis provides a novel and unique approach for quantitative immunohistological study of the tonsil.