REACTION PATTERNS IN SELECTED LYMPHATIC TISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH SUDDEN INFANT DEATH (SID)

In 50 cases of sudden infant death cervical, paratracheal and lung hil ar lymph nodes, the thymus and the spleen were investigated by histolo gy and immunohistochemistry (CD 20, 21, 45RO). The cases were divided into 3 groups based on autopsy findings including extensive histology: A - without pathological changes (N = 12), B - with minimal to interm ediate inflammation (N = 23) and C - with severe inflammation (N = 15) . In accordance with previous results the frequency of ''pathological' ' lymph node changes, such as paracortical lymphoid hyperplasia and va riegated hyperplasia of the pulp increased from group A to group C. Th e B-cell antigens reacted accordingly. A pronounced lymphodepletation of the thymus as a sign of a long lasting stimulation of the T-cell sy stem was also observed increasingly from group A to C, In summary, in none of the cases results obtained were indicative of a defect of the T- or B-cell system. The results in group A seem to indicate that chan ges in the reaction pattern of the lymphoid tissues could be a more se nsitive method of detection of early stages of inflammation than local histology.