title: Effects of thyroid hormones on humoral and cell-mediated immune responses in the domestic fowl (Gallus domesticus).
abstract: We investigated the effect of raising and lowering circulating thyroid hormones in young domestic fowl on antibody production and the responses of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) to the mitogens concanavalin A (con A) and phytohaemagglutinin (PHA). Circulating thyroid hormones were reduced by treatment with the goitrogen, methimazole, and raised by giving implants containing thyroxine (T4) and/or triiodothyronine (T3). Raising or lowering circulating thyroid hormones had no significant effect on peak antibody titers, though the decline in titer was slower in goitrogen-treated birds. Lowering circulating thyroid hormones caused a significant increase in the response to con A that was prevented by hormone replacement. There was no effect on the response to PHA and raising circulating hormones had no effect on the responses to con A or PHA. It is suggested that stress-induced changes in thyroid hormones could modulate cell-mediated immune responses.
authors.affiliation: AFRC Institute for Animal Health, Houghton Laboratory, Cambs, England.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Williamson
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Davison
authors.forename: L N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Payne
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000502:physiology; D002003:Brucella abortus / Q000276:immunology; D002645:Chickens / Q000276:immunology*; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000502:physiology; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000502:physiology; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008713:Methimazole / Q000494:pharmacology; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D012756:Sheep; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D014284:Triiodothyronine; D003208:Concanavalin A; D008713:Methimazole; D013974:Thyroxine