The cell-mediated response of the guinea pig's middle ear

In this project, we studied the cell-mediated response of guinea pig's middle ear. The specific objective was to characterize rejection of skin grafts on the back (allo- and iso-grafts) after primary stimulation (iso- or allo-) in the ear or on the back. The method used was the mixed lymphocyte response with and without phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Preliminary results showed that the middle ear is able to mount a normal immune response, both locally and systemically. Such basic studies will help us to understand the otologic immune response as a whole and may shed some light on the immune phenomena observed in middle ear transplantations.