title: Androgen-induced expression of the peripheral blood gamma delta T cell population in the chicken.
abstract: Unlike alpha beta T cells, the physiologic significance of gamma delta T cells has remained elusive. In avian species they comprise a large circulating T cell subset. Here we report that in chicken around the time of sexual maturation (4 to 6 mo of age) a significant increase of the gamma delta T cells takes place in male but not in female chickens. The frequency of gamma delta T cells increases both in peripheral blood and spleen, but not in intestinal epithelium. This expansion is independent of MHC haplotype, being observed in various inbred and MHC-recombinant strains. Furthermore, administration of testosterone to young female chickens induces an equivalent increase in the frequency of gamma delta T cells in peripheral blood. These results indicate that sex, through androgens, has an effect on the gamma delta T cell numbers in a species, in which these cells form a major subset of peripheral lymphocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Turku University, Finland.
authors.forename: T P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Arstila
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lassila
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006239:Haplotypes; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex; D008297:Male; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D013739:Testosterone