Antoni F. - Staub Mária (szerk.): Tonsils structure, immunology and biochemistry (Budapest, 1978)

1828-1978 PUBLISHED IN THE YEAR OF THE 150th JUBILEE TONSILS STRUCTURE, IMMUNOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY Edited by F. ANTONI and MÁRIA STAUB Investigations of the human immune system were restricted almost entirely to the study of peripheral blood lymphocytes. Works summa­rized in this monograph show that human pal­atine tonsils represent a convenient source of lymphocytes relatively poor in phagocytic cells, offering a suitable and also sufficient material for immunological and biochemical investiga­tions. The structure of the microenvironment and lymphocytes in the tonsils is shown as a functional unit influencing each other. The iso­lated lymphocytes appear very active in the pro­duction of all types of immunoglobulins and also in the bacteriolytic enzyme, lysozyme, sup­porting the important role of tonsils in immuno­logical defence. However, the presence of acti­vated cells characterized as “precursor” cells calls attention to the role of tonsils also in lymphocyte differentiation. The monograph can be recommended to all research workers interested in the structure, immunology and biochemistry of an important lymphoid organ, and to clinicians connected in practice with the function of the tonsils. AKADÉMIAI KIADÓ BUDAPEST

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