Tonsil Epithelial Cells (TEC)

Tonsil Epithelial Cell (or Tonsil epithelium) is a heterogeneous lymphoid organ containing two different types of actively differentiating epithelia, the lining stratified squamous epithelium and the reticulated crypt, or lymphoepithelium. The tonsil crypts represent a specialized compartment, important in the immunological functions of the tonsil because of the immediate proximity of the epithelial and lymphoid tissues.

In situ staining of tonsil epithelium suggests that expression of the simple epithelial keratins K8, K18 and K19 is located to the crypt epithelial cells. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is found frequently in certain epithelial pathologies, such as nasopharyngeal carcinoma and oral hairy leukoplakia, indicating that the virus can infect epithelial cells in vivo. Studies show that the establishment and characterization of an ex vivo culture model of tonsil epithelial cells, a likely site for EBV infection in vivo.