Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the immune state of chicken lung in different periods.With lung tissue of Hy-line White chicken at different ages,the distribution and quantity changes of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺T lymphocytes in lung were studied using immunohistochemistry staining.The results showed that CD8⁺T lymphocytes appeared firstly in embryonic at 18 d,while CD4⁺T lymphocytes appeared at 1-day-old chicken.At 4-day-old,there were aggregates of lymphocytes at the junction of the primary and secondary bronchi,which formed obvious broncho-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT).CD4⁺T lymphocytes of each age mainly occupied the central area of BALT,while CD8⁺T lymphocytes mainly surrounded the periphery.Since 56 days old,CD8⁺T lymphocytes are distributed in the inner wall of third-order bronchial airway,atrial septum,gas exchange area and interlobular connective tissue,and are distributed throughout the lung.In terms of quantity change,with the growth of daily age,the number of CD4⁺T lymphocytes and CD8⁺T lymphocytes gradually increased,and the number of CD4⁺ T lymphocytes was more than that of CD8⁺ T lymphocytes before 35 days of age,while the number of CD8⁺ T lymphocytes was significantly more than that of CD4⁺ T lymphocytes at the same age thereafter.The results showed that the distribution and number of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺T lymphocytes in the lungs of chickens were correlated with the age,and the changes could reflect that the lungs before the age of 35 days were dominated by humoral immunity,while the lungs after that tended to be cellular immunity.

Key words: chicken; lung; CD4⁺T lymphocytes; CD8⁺T lymphocytes; distribution