Regional Disparity of Germinal Center Development in Neonatally Thymectomized Mice After Stimulation with Tetanus Toxoid

Abstract

Although the leading role of the thymus in establishing and maintaining the immunological competence of the mammalian organism is undisputed, many aspects of thymic function remain obscure. The importance of the thymus for humoral antibody formation appears to be particularly difficult to assess. The effects of thymectomy on antibody responsiveness of laboratory animals vary greatly, not only among the species studied and according to the age of the animals at the time of operation, but also with the general health of the animal colony and with type and physical form of the antigen used [1]. In addition, the question of why anamnestic antibody responses to some antigens may be more impaired than primary responses in a number of neonatally thymectomized mice still remains unanswered [2–4].