| Abstract: | Pulmonic and peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations in healthy and Mycoplasma suipneumoniae-infected pigs were compared. The T- and the B-lymphocyte populations were counted, the B cells by the complement receptor (zymosan-complement rosettes) technique and the T cells by the ED-rosette technique (sheep RBC-dextran rosettes). The T cells were found to predominate among pulmonic, as well as blood, lymphocytes. Pulmonic B-cell and blood T-cell percentages were increased after mycoplasma respiratory tract infection. However, blood B-cell and pulmonic T-cell percentages were not significantly affected. A significant (P less than 0.001) correlation between pulmonic and blood T-lymphocyte compositions was found; conversely, no correlation was observed between blood and pulmonic B-cell percentages. These data could imply that pulmonic B cells are predominantly involved in local immune reactions after a mycoplasma respiratory tract infection. |
