Experimental Studies on the Rôle of Plasma Cells as Antibody Producers

The Pathology of Subchronic Atrophy of the Liver*

“…Bergstrand ( 2 ) discusses in his work on the acute and chronic atrophy of the liver 150 cases of these diseases. 11 of them had symptoms of the disease over a period of 3 months and were thus presumably of the same nature as those to be described here. I n the years following, a few similar cases were described.…”

“…It can be deduced from the table that there is a tendency towards the increase of plasma cells in the sternal marrow among these patients, and that the concentration of serum-globulin shows a tendency to become greater with the increasing quantity of plasma cells in the sternal marrow. This discovery was compared with the hypothesis put forward by Bjerneboe and Gormsen (11) concerning the plasina cells as place of production for the globulin of antibodies. 'i'he opinion was formed that the investigations supported the view put forward previously (40), naniely that the increase of serum-globulin in hepatitis is connected with the formation of antibodies.…”

The historical milestones in the understanding of leukocyte biology initiated by Elie Metchnikoff

“…Nevertheless, they were the first to publish a close correlation between antibody production and plasma cell proliferation, especially in the spleen and the liver, despite the admission that most investigators thought antibody formation was ascribed to the RES [106]. They further confirmed that plasma cells were antibody producers, which could be found in nonlymphoid tissues such as adipose tissue or renal sinus [107]. They stated: It is however a possibility that both lymphocytes and plasma cells produce antibodies and it may be mentioned that according to many investigators lymphocytes and plasma cells are closely related, though several recent investigations seem to indicate that plasma cells at least in spleen, lymph nodes, and bone marrow descend directly from reticulum cells.…”

“…Although plasma cells were known, in 1931, Franklin R. Miller wrote a paper clearly demonstrating that plasma cells were not derived from lymphocytes [103]. In 1943, Mogens Bjørneboe (1910Bjørneboe ( -2006 specialized in immunization from the State Serum Institute of Copenhagen, and Harald Gormsen (1909 -1996), professor at the Forensic Institute in Copenhagen University, specialized in pathological anatomy, considered that their findings were contrary to lymphocytic genesis of the plasma cells [106]. Nevertheless, they were the first to publish a close correlation between antibody production and plasma cell proliferation, especially in the spleen and the liver, despite the admission that most investigators thought antibody formation was ascribed to the RES [106].…”

“…In 1943, Mogens Bjørneboe (1910Bjørneboe ( -2006 specialized in immunization from the State Serum Institute of Copenhagen, and Harald Gormsen (1909 -1996), professor at the Forensic Institute in Copenhagen University, specialized in pathological anatomy, considered that their findings were contrary to lymphocytic genesis of the plasma cells [106]. Nevertheless, they were the first to publish a close correlation between antibody production and plasma cell proliferation, especially in the spleen and the liver, despite the admission that most investigators thought antibody formation was ascribed to the RES [106]. They further confirmed that plasma cells were antibody producers, which could be found in nonlymphoid tissues such as adipose tissue or renal sinus [107].…”