Submitted to: Developmental and Comparative Immunology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: June 30, 2002
Publication Date: N/A
Interpretive Summary: Leukocytes are circulating blood cells and are important for the body's defense against invading microorganisms. Hormones are small molecules which influences many aspects of immunological and physiological responses. In this study, scientists at Penn State University and ARS collaborated to investigate how different foreign antigens influence lymphocyte circulation. The results showed that there is a redistribution of various lymphocytes in the blood and the type of antigens used can have a profound effect. This information will help the development of vaccination strategy in chickens.
Technical Abstract:
The effect of injecting T-independent (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) and T-dependent (bovine serum albumin, BSA) antigens on the distribution of lymphocyte populations in immature male chickens was investigated. In the blood, percentages of total T-cells (CD3+), T-helper cells (CD4+), and T-cytotoxic/suppressor cells (CD8+) significantly decreased post-LPS injection (PLI) but not post-BSA injection (PBI), while percentages of monocytes/thrombocytes (K1+) significantly increase PLI. Interleukin-1 receptor expression on blood lymphocytes increased significantly PLI and PBI. In the spleen, the percentages of total T-cells (CD3+) increased significantly PLI and PBI, macrophage (K1+) percentages increased significantly PLI, while B-cell percentages decreased significantly PLI. These results indicate that following antigen injection, there is a redistribution of peripheral blood lymphocytes (specifically T-lymphocytes) to secondary lymphoid organs and the kinetics and magnitude of the changes can differ according to the type of antigen used.
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