[Subpopulations of lymphocytes in onchocercal nodules]

Fourty onchocercal nodules were taken from patients living in forest areas where onchocerciasis is highly endemic, in order to identify the various types of lymphocytes present in these nodules. For this purpose, each nodule was submitted to two histological procedures: one after fixation in formalin of part of the nodule and hematoxylin-eosin stain; the other after freezing part of the nodule in liquid nitrogen, cryostat cutting and staining by immuno-peroxidase method using avidin-biotin and the following monoclonal antibodies: Pan B, OK T3, OK T4 and OK T8. Fifty-five of the 40 nodules show lymphocytes. All the 25 nodules with lymphocytes present T-lymphocytes. Only 20 of these 25 nodules have B lymphocytes and therefore only 20 nodules with lymphocytes have both T and B lymphocytes. Of the 25 nodules with T lymphocytes: 19 present T4 lymphocytes, 25 show T8 lymphocytes and therefore 19 have both T4 and T8 lymphocytes. These results are analysed and discussed in this study which notices that there is an intense cellular and humoral immune reaction in onchocercal nodules, an insufficient reaction as parasitic antigens persist and are not destroyed.