Immunophenotypical characterization of the lymphocyte infiltrate in caprine pulmonary tuberculosis

A study was made of the immunophenotype of the lymphocytes associated with natural caprine pulmonary tuberculosis at four stages of the disease. Regardless of the stage, CD4(+)and CD8(+)T lymphocytes predominated in lung and mediastinal lymph node lesions, but gamma/delta T and B (IgM(+)) cells were seen only rarely. At the primary complex stage, CD4(+)cells outnumbered CD8(+)cells. At the stage of generalized tuberculosis, however, and still more at the post-primary stage, CD8(+)cells outnumbered CD4(+)cells. At the final stage (tuberculous pneumonia), CD4(+)and CD8(+)cells were present in low but approximately equal numbers.