Ra. Wilson et al., T-CELL SUBSETS IN BLOOD AND LYMPHOID-TISSUES OBTAINED FROM FETAL CALVES, MATURING CALVES, AND ADULT BOVINE, Veterinary immunology and immunopathology, 53(1-2), 1996, pp. 49-60
Assessment of CD2, CD4, CD8 and gamma delta cell distribution among mo
nonuclear cells obtained from the blood and lymphoid tissues of fetal
calves, 0-150-day-old calves and adult cows was the focus of this inve
stigation. The distributions of some of the lymphocyte subsets in peri
pheral blood showed variation in fetal and maturing calves as well as
being markedly different from those observed in adult cows. We provide
evidence that as early as 1 month prepartum, fetal calves have a full
complement of at least four of the major T-cell subsets found in the
normal bovine, In blood, CD2(+) were significantly higher at 1, 30 and
90 days of age, CD4(+) and CD8 cells demonstrated a peak in the fetus
es that dropped below adult levels from 1 to 120 days of age, and gamm
a delta(+) cells were highest at birth and decreased to adult levels b
y 150 days of age, Except for the gamma delta(+) cells, the subsets we
re significantly higher in lymphoid tissues obtained from fetal and ma
turing calves than in the mature animals. All four subsets were signif
icantly higher in fetal and young calf splenic tissues, No significant
differences were observed in the distribution of the four subsets in
thymuses assayed in this study, An interesting pattern was seen in a l
ongitudinal study of T-cell subsets that showed 7-8 day cyclical chang
es in CD2 and CD4 marked cells in adult peripheral blood.