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Intraepithelial Lymphocytes in the Normal Epididymis. A Mechanism for Tolerance to Sperm Auto‐Antigens?
Author(s) -
RITCHIE A. W. S.,
HARGREAVE T. B.,
JAMES K.,
CHISHOLM G. D.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
british journal of urology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.773
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1464-410X
pISSN - 0007-1331
DOI - 10.1111/j.1464-410x.1984.tb07169.x
Subject(s) - epididymis , cytotoxic t cell , antigen , biology , suppressor , sperm , immunoperoxidase , immunology , immune system , epithelium , monoclonal antibody , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , in vitro , gene , antibody
Summary— Using a monoclonal immunoperoxidase technique on frozen tissue sections of normal testis and epididymis, a distinctive distribution of lymphocytes has been identified. Almost all of the intra‐epithelial lymphocytes were T cells and the majority of these belonged to the T 8 + (“suppressor/cytotoxic”) subset. The distribution contrasted with the predominance of the T 4 + (“helper/inducer”) subset in the interstitial tissues and in normal peripheral blood. The predominance of the “suppressor/cytotoxic” subset within the epithelium of the epididymis may exist in order to prevent the development of the immune response to auto‐antigens on spermatozoa.