Lymphocyte subpopulations in peripheral blood of sheep experimentally infected with tick-borne fever.
The lymphocyte subpopulations in the peripheral blood of normal sheep and sheep experimentally infected with Cytoecetes phagocytophila, the causative agent of tick-borne fever, were analysed by flow cytometry, using a panel of monoclonal antibodies against specific lymphocyte epitopes. Experimental infection with tick-borne fever was characterised by a significant reduction in the total number of circulating lymphocytes six days after experimental infection (P less than 0.001). This lymphocytopenia was associated with a significant reduction in the number of B (LCAp220+) and T (CD5+) lymphocytes (P less than 0.001) but there was a significant increase in the number of cells which were neither T nor B (CD5-LCAp220-) cells (P less than 0.01). The reduction in the number of T lymphocytes was due to reduced numbers of circulating CD4+ (helper) T cells, CD8+ (cytotoxic/suppressor) T cells and those with the pan T cell marker (CD5+) but without CD4 or CD8 epitopes (CD4-CD8-). All lymphocytes returned to preinoculation levels 13 to 16 days after experimental infection.
University of Liverpool, Department of Veterinary Pathology, Neston, Wirral.
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Woldehiwet
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; D004536:Ehrlichia; D007958:Leukocyte Count / Q000662:veterinary; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets; D012288:Rickettsiaceae Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000662:veterinary*; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000954:Antigens, Surface