[Cellular and humoral immunity factors as regulators of regenerative morphogenesis]

The published and author's data concerning changes in the immune system during regeneration of various organs are summarized. During the first few hours after partial removal of organs possessing high regeneration capacity, lymphocytes stimulate proliferation of nonlymphoid cells of an organ identical to the operated one; the production of antibodies against thymus-dependent antigen also increases. At the following stages of regeneration, the lymphocytes suppress the cell proliferation and decrease the antigen production. The level of these changes correlates with the level of post operational deficiency of the organ being maximal after total removal of the organ. The functional properties of splenocytes at different stages of regeneration suggest that the high T-helper and T-suppressor activities correlate with stimulation and suppression of non-lymphoid cells proliferation respectively. Culture medium supernatant after cultivation of these lymphocytes also changes the proliferation of hepatocytes. The author considers the impairment of natural immune tolerance caused by deficiency of organ auto-antigens that normally suppress lymphocyte proliferation to be the cause of the changes in lymphocyte activity.