[Immune reaction in monkeys to single and fractionated low-dose gamma-irradiation]. / Reaktsiia immunnoi sistemy obezían na odnokratnoe i fraktsionirovannoe gamma-obluchenie v malykh dozakh.

A study was made of total and local immunity of two groups of Papio hamadryads subjected to single and ten-fold external gamma-irradiation at a cumulative dose of 5 cGy. It has been shown that with equal dosages changes in the relative and absolute number of lymphocytes in the peripheral blood, the number of circulating T-cells and their functional activity are more pronounced in animals subjected to fractionated irradiation. Both groups exhibited similar disturbances in the functional activity of antibody-dependent killers and in local immunity of stomatopharynx. Analysis of the immunological data and the results of hydrocortisone content determinations in blood serum of exposed animals has demonstrated the presence of both direct effect of low-level radiation on the immune system and indirect effect that is particularly pronounced in case of multifraction long-term irradiation.

Seasonal aspects of immunological reactivity of the human and animal organism.

In a study of 95 practically healthy humans and in experiments on 148 animals (dogs, rabbits, rats), an attempt was made at assessing seasonal effects on immunological reactivity. The content of IgM antibody-forming cells was determined as well as the activity of blood and lymphoid NK and K cells and number of E rosette-forming peripheral blood lymphocytes. The most pronounced changes were observed in the specific immune response (IgM antibodies and K cells), which was enhanced during autumn and winter. Seasonal fluctuations in E rosette-forming cells and IgE antibodies were less extensive. The activity of NK cells was found to be relatively stable.

Tonsillar suppressors of killer cells in tonsillitis.

The authors studied the effect of tonsil cells obtained from intact and inflamed tonsils on spontaneous cytotoxicity of autologous blood leucocytes. It has been shown that addition of tonsil cells of patients with chronic tonsillitis and those of animals with experimental tonsillitis to blood cells with a high cytotoxic potential did not augment cytolysis of heteroerythrocytes but inhibited it. Meanwhile in the joint cultivation of tonsil cells of intact animals and children with tonsillar hypertrophy with autologous blood leucocytes the killer effect exceeded that seen in a separate use of these cells. The data presented in this article indicate that non-specific suppressors capable of inhibiting spontaneous killing may appear in tonsils in the course of inflammation.

Cytolytic activity of tonsil cells.

The ability of normal canine tonsil cells, and that of humans with chronic tonsillitis, to lyse heteroerythrocytes in vitro is shown. Heterologous erythrocyte destruction by tonsil cells is markedly increased after immunization of the animal. Tonsil cells of patients with chronic tonsillitis lyse the erythrocytes coated with streptococcus and staphylococcus antigens more actively. An experimental tonsillitis increases the ability of tonsils to lyse erythrocytes. Since cytolytic activity of tonsil cells is not altered by the removal of phagocytes and treatment with antiglobulin serum, one can presume that it is caused by T-lymphocytes.