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Matthias F. Kramer, MD; Brigitte Mack; Gerd Rasp, MD

Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2001;127:1120-1125.

Background  Interleukin 16 (IL-16) acts highly chemotactic on CD4-bearing cells. Besides chemotaxis, IL-16 has numerous immunomodulatory effects, and not only on T cells.

Objective  To determine IL-16 expression in human tonsils.

Methods  Tonsillar follicles were immunohistologically characterized to elicit a possible cellular source of IL-16 expression.

Results  The mantle zone of immature and mature B cells was CD22 immunoreactive (ir), whereas the germinal center of activated B cells was CD23-ir. Plasma cells that were CD38-ir were observed extrafollicularly beneath the epithelium and within the germinal center. T cells were found most frequently in the extrafollicular space, with a majority of CD4 cells. CD68-ir macrophages were predominantly found within the germinal center. Immunostaining of anti–IL-16 revealed strong cytoplasmatic reactivity of extrafollicular cells and of cells at the outer rim of the mantle zone. Numerous cells adherent to the stratified squamous epithelium were IL-16-ir as well. Double immunostaining identified CD4⁺ T cells as the major cellular source of IL-16 expression. Furthermore, a population of CD22⁺ B cells at the outer rim of the mantle zone expressed IL-16 as well.

Conclusions  Interleukin 16 was mainly expressed in a typical CD4-like pattern in human tonsils. Our data strongly suggest that CD4⁺ lymphocytes constitute the major cellular source for IL-16. We hypothesize that the double-immunostained CD4-ir and IL-16-ir cells represent activated T cells. Because CD22⁺ B cells at the outer rim of the mantle zone expressed IL-16 as well, we conclude that this area might constitute the locus of IL-16–mediated B-cell differentiation.

From the Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.

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