[Participation of the lungs in the formation of an immune response]

The process of accumulation of the antibody-forming cells (AFC) in the lungs after vaccination of rabbits with the typhoid antigen was studied. No AFC was revealed in the lungs after single aerosol and subcutaneous immunization; double administration of the antigen through the respiratory tracts was followed by significant AFC accumulation in the lung tissue; individual antibody-synthesizing cells were found in the lung after subcutaneous application. Revaccination was followed by intensification of the immune response of the lung in both methods of vaccination; the content of antibody-producing cells in the aerosol-immunized rabbits was much greater than in the animals vaccinated subcutaneously. This indicated a definite role of the lungs in the immunogenesis in the case of the antigen administration through the respiratory tract.