Studies on the Discrimination of Lymphocytes and Plasma Cells SUPPLEMENTS ON ADVOCATION OF THE “LYMPHOGONIA”‐THEORY*
Authors: Amano S. , Unno G. , Hanaoka M. , Tamaki Y. 
Published: December 2008

In the lymphatic gland of well sensitized rabbits, there locate three groups of pyroninophile cells stained with the Unna‐Pappenheim's method. Namely, they are (1) germ centers, (2) sinus, especially the intermedially sinus and (3) lymphatic pulp near the medullary sinus.

Among them, group (3) belongs to those plasma cells (Marschalko‐type), that arise through metamorphosis from adventitial cells of small blood vessels, especially of arterioles. Group (2) is constituted from the special cells which appear in such a condition in the efferent lymph, and which we nominated here as “lymphogonia”. Namely, they are large cells with deep basophilic protoplasm, and with large nucleus and giant nucleolus, and are often endowed with small clear zone perinuclearly. They show transition to lymphoblasts by Giemsa staining, but by supravital staining there appear a small grouping of fine neutral red vacuoles paranuclearly (corresponding to the clear zone by Giemsa staining), which resembles the neutral red vacuoles in plasma cells.

Using phase control microscope, we reached the new knowledge that the discrimination of lymphocyte series from plasma cell series is possible with this method, referring to their natures of nucleus. Namely, the nucleolus of lymphatic series hang in the center of nucleus coloured orange, and large and polymorphous, and moreover, is bounded with thin, gray threads to the nuclear membrane. In plasma cells, this thick structure coloured orange, attached spottedly on the inner surface of nuclear membrane and from each of these spots thick processes rise toward the center, including nucleolus. In other words, our lymphogonias bear the nuclear character similar to lymphoblasts but not to that of transitional forms to plasma cells. This is the reason why we give a new nomenclature of “lymphogonias”.

By the histological observation of sections, we confirmed the fact that these lymphogonias have transitions to reticulum cells in the lymphatic sinus, often in such a form with the processes like reticulum cells. The dissolution of such processes may easily move such lymphogonias into the efferent lymph.

Such modus of metamorphosis of reticulum cells into lymphogonias is also seen in the germ centers. And we may easily understand such modus of proliferation as it recapitulate the embryonal lymphopoiesis. The reason why we did not controverse such a proliferation modus before, owes to our past understanding that the reticulum cells in lymph nodes were only thought as stroma cells of this organ. But from our new observation, the reticulum cells in lymphatic sinus refering to their nature of metamorphosis to lymphogonias, are cells which are determined toward the lymphatic series. We can not expect an analogous phenomenon concerning the cells of the bone marrow.

As lymphogonias do not mature to plasma cells, we must deny the understanding of Fagraeus and others, which insist the maturation of reticulum cells to plasma cells with the transitional forms like that of lymphogonias. The metamorphosis of plasma cells from the adventitial cells of small vessels, especially of arterioles, takes place in Marschalko's form from the beginning. The so often prevailed misunderstanding that lymphogonias mature to plasma cells, owes only to the observation of such organs that are endowed with lymphatic apparatus, for example, lymph nodes and spleens. We can avoid such a fault as to the observation of bone marrow or of connective tissues of subcutis or of omentum major, because there is no accompaniment of lymphogonias in the formation of plasma cells.