Objective: To investigate the role of peripheral immunocompetent lymphocytes during the immune response in the inner ear.
Methods: Sensitized lymphocytes from peripheral blood, neck lymph nodes and spleen of three groups of donor animals, i.e., group A immunized intradermally with keyhole limpet hemocyanine (KLH) and both inner ears challenged with KLH, group B received only KLH intradermally without inner ear challenge, and group C used as control, were isolated and labelled with 51Cr. The labelled lymphocytes were injected intravenously into the recipients. They were immunized intradermally with right inner ears challenged with KLH. Twenty to 24 h later, the radioactivities in the temporal bones of the recipients were assayed to detect the infiltration of labelled cells.
Results: In groups A and B, the radioactivity in the right temporal bones was higher than that in the left temporal bones (P < 0.05). The highest labelling radioactivity was detected in the right temporal bones of group A. The lowest migration of 51Cr-labelled cells to the inner ear was found in group C. The ratio of radioactivity between right (challenged) and left (unchallenged) inner ears was higher in group A than in groups B and C, with the difference being significant (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: The immune reaction in response to antigenic stimulation in the inner ear is immunologically modulated by the peripheral systemic circulation.