Despite extensive investigations, the mechanisms of immunoregulation in this animal model are still unknown. T lymphocytes may have a regulatory role in both BN and LEW rats. T cells in lymph nodes of BN rats exposed to mercury and the lack of such effect in similarly treated LEW rats. In the present report we show that congenic LEW.1N or BN.1L had no renal autoimmune disease after treatment with HgCl2. T lymphocytes were significantly decreased in both spleen and lymph nodes of these animals.
T lymphocytes in cervical lymph nodes.