Histochemical study on human germinal centre, mantle-zone and extra-follicular area lymphoid cell subpopulations

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Abstract
Tissue sections of lymph nodes, appendices and tonsils, together with smears of immunologically separated peripheral lymphoid cells from a B-CLL and lymphomatous cells from an immunocytoma were submitted to combined enzyme cytochemical investigations with acid α-naphthyl acetate esterase (ANAE), β-glucuronidase (B-G), acid phosphatase (AcPh), adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase), a,d 5′ nucleotidase (5′N). T-cells were AcPh +, ATPase- and 5′N -. The vast majority of T- and B-cells displayed ANAE and B-G activities with two distinct staining patterns (T-like and B-like pattern). A high proportion of lymphoid cells in the germinal centre (G.C.) and the vast majority of lymphoid cells in the mantle-zone (M.Z.) were shown to belong to B-cell system because of the expression of ATPase and 5′N in their membranes. Some lymphoid cells positive for ANAE and B-G with a B-like pattern and for AcPh were recognizable in the G.C. In the M.Z. only a few lymphoid cells being ANAE+, with a T-like pattern, and AcPh+ were shown to belong to the T-cell system. In contrast, in this zone a high proportion of small lymphoid cells (64%±10%) showed ANAE activity, mostly with B-like pattern. Therefore, these findings indicate that in the M.Z. a high proportion of B-cells ATPase+ and 5′N+ also display ANAE activity. By comparison of the results obtained from lymphoid tissue sections, B-CLL and immunocytoma cell suspensions and normal circulating lymphocytes we can conlude that B-ANAE-positive cells of the M.Z. do not usually appear in the peripheral blood. They circulate in large numbers only in some pathological conditions (like our reported B-CLL). Therefore, B-ANAE-positive lymphoid cells of the mantle, with a B-like staining pattern, include a wide range of subsets which exclude large lymphoid cells and plasma cells.