Chicken peripheral blood CD3+CD4-CD8- cells are regulated by endocrine and nerve systems

Abstract

The existence of CD3+CD4-CD8- T cells in thymus and spleen has already been known. However, because of the presence of large amounts of thrombocytes in peripheral blood (PB), the proportion of CD3+CD4-CD8- T cells in PB has yet to be investigated. Therefore, the proportion of peripheral T cell-subsets was investigated in 6-week-old chickens. The percentage of CD3+ cells, CD4+ cells, CD8α+ cells, CD8β+, and CD3+CD4-CD8- cells was 76%, 41%, 14%, 5%, and 15%, respectively. The proportion of CD3+CD4- CD8 - cells in PB increased during egg-laying periods and in chickens treated with an analog of estrogen, while it decreased with age and in response to restraint stress. All of the CD3+CD4-CD8- cells expressed TCR1, and did not have NK activity. CD3+CD4 -CD8- cells represent about 60% of peripheral TCR1 + cells. These findings indicate that the proportion of CD3 +CD4-CD8- cells is regulated by the endocrine and nerve systems.