Lymphocyte subpopulations in lymph and blood draining from the uterus and ovary in sheep

Abstract

Lymphocyte subsets in utero-ovarian peripheral lymph and uterine and jugular venous blood were analysed with the aid of monoclonal antibodies, polyclonal antisera and flow microfluorometry. The proportion of various lymphocyte subpopulations, as determined by monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and polyclonal antisera, was found to vary between utero-ovarian peripheral lymph and jugular and uterine venous blood. T cell levels were higher in utero-ovarian peripheral lymph (approx. 80% CD5 +, 50% CD4 + and 23% CD8 +) than peripheral blood (approx. 55% CD5 +, 18% CD4 + and 12% CD8 +). Conversely, in lymph, 10% of lymphocytes were B cells compared to 30% in blood. There were 20–30% MHC II + cells in utero-ovarian peripheral lymph and 40–50% in blood. The level of CD45R + cells in utero-ovarian peripheral lymph was low (2%) compared to peripheral blood (approx. 55% in pregnant and 25% in non-pregnant ewes). The proportion of lymphocyte subpopulations in lymph was similar for pregnant and non-pregnant ewes. However, some differences in levels in peripheral blood were evident between uterine and jugular venous blood and pregnant and non-pregnant ewes. CD4 + cells were higher in the uterine vein (14%) than in the jugular vein (11%) of pregnant ewes. The uterine and jugular veins in pregnant ewes contained approx. 50% MHC II + cells compared to 30% in non-pregnant ewes. Likewise, the proportion of CD45R + cells was higher in uterine and jugular venous blood of pregnant ewes (approx. 58%) compared to non-pregnant ewes (around 25%).