Specific Antibacterial Antibody-Producing Cells in Human Nasal Mucosa

Abstract

Recurrent infections of the rhinopharyngeal area, common in young children, are elusive to most classical therapies. The use of local vaccines to enhance local immunity has been proposed since the sixties. Although these immunomodulators have been widely used, their mechanisms of action remain disputed. A likely hypothesis is that inactivated microbes could induce a specific local immune response against bacteria commonly found in the relevant area. This is supported by the demonstration of antigen-specific antibodies in the secretions. The precise site of synthesis of specific immunoglobulins is, however, not well documented in humans. Suitable technology allowing the detection of antibody-producing cells in vivo has been only recently developed and applied to animal models (1).