[Intraepithelial T cell population in ileum from ovalbumin sensitized rabbit]

We characterize the intraepithelial T cell population of terminal ileum from intraperitoneally OVA-sensitized New Zealand rabbit after oral challenge. High anti-OVA specific IgE levels elicited after sensitization were evaluated by positive passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) at 160 fold dilutions. Anaphylactic response in gut after the oral challenge was confirmed by evaluation of edema in villi and marked mast cell degranulatin. Total T cells (CD5+), T cells subset (CD4+) and MHC II R-DQ positive cells expressed as the number of positive cells/1000 nuclei, were analyzed for each tissue. Positive cells were counted in 30 villi by light microscopy. The number of CD5+ cells was 122.5 cells/1000 nuclei. Activated cells in small bowel epithelium 8 hours after challenge in experimental group, expressed by MHC II R-DQ showed an increase: 32.2 as compared to control group: 12.6 positive cells/1000 nuclei (p < 0.05) and compared to experimental group 1 hour after challenge 9.3 (p < 0.05). We demonstrated an increment of activated T cells in gut epithelium of terminal ileum in OVA-sensitized group after oral challenge.