Lillehoj, H.S. and Chung, K.S., l992. Postnatal developmemt of T-lymphocyte subpopulations in the intesinal intraepithelium and lamina propria ln chickens. Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol., 31:347-360.
Postnatal development of various T-lymphocyte subpopu...
Lillehoj, H.S. and Chung, K.S., l992. Postnatal developmemt of T-lymphocyte subpopulations in the intesinal intraepithelium and lamina propria ln chickens. Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol., 31:347-360.
Postnatal development of various T-lymphocyte subpopulations expressing CD3, CD8, CD4, and antigen-specific TCR heterodimers αβ(TCR2) or γδ(TCRl) was investigated in two different inbred chicken strains, SC and TK. The ratios of jejunum T-cells expressing TCRl to TCR2 in the intraepithelium of SC and TK strains gradually increased after hatching and were 3.40 and 4.28 by l2 weeks in TK and SC chickens respectively. The ratios of TCRl^+ to TCR2^+-cells in intraepithelium and the lamina propria in SC chickens were 0.96 and l.23 at 8 weeks and 4.29 and 2.15 at 12 weeks, respectively. Jejunum intraepithelial lymphocytes expressing the CD8 antigen increased gradually until 4-6 weeks of age and subsequently declined as chickens aged. CD4^+-cells represented a minor subpopulalion among the intestinal lymphocyte subpopulations. Therefore, the composition of various T-cell subpopulations in the intestine depended upon host age, the regions of the gut examined and host genetic background. These results suggest that changes in T-cell subpopulations in the intestine may reflect age-related maturation of the gut-associated lymphoid tissues.