Immunological Role of Human Tonsils

The immunological function of human tonsils was studied by tissue culture technique. Micro-fragments were prepared from tonsils after tonsill-ectomy of officially vaccinated children. Parker 199 medium was used supplemented by plant mitogen (phytohemagglutinin). The tissue fragments were cultivated with and without specific stimulator: diphtheria toxoid. After 4 days, inoculation antibody was produced in the cultures stimulated with antigen. The diphtheria antitoxin titres were measured by hem-agglutination. On the basis of comparison of human and animal experiments it was concluded that, in our experiments, human tonsils behave as a non-regional lymph node and that they have an immunological memory.