Avian Coccidiosis: Evidence for a Cell-Mediated Immune Response

Abstract

A cell-mediated immune (CMI) response to chicken coccidia oocyst antigen extracts was shown in Single Comb White Leghorn chickens vaccinated with a commercially available coccidiosis vaccine (CocciVac® D) by delayed hypersensitivity (DH) and leukocyte stimulation. A particulate oocyst antigen from Eimeria necatrix gave positive DH wattle reaction in 10 of 20, 9-week-old chickens vaccinated at 4 weeks of age and 10 of 20, 33-week-old chickens which received 3 additional vaccinations at monthly intervals starting at 18 weeks of age. In contrast, only 4 of 20, 31-week-old chickens which received the 3 additional vaccinations gave positive stimulation reactions with blood derived leukocytes against alkali soluble oocyst antigen extracts from particulate oocyst antigens of E. necatrix and E. maxima. Forty unvaccinated control chickens did not produce significant DH reactions, although 1 of 20, 31-week-old control chickens did produce a positive stimulation response. The ability of the chicken to mount a measurable CMI response correlated with disease resistance. All chickens which produced a significant CMI response were totally refractory to challenge with either E. necatrix at 9 weeks or E. tenella at 3 3 weeks, while all but 1 unvaccinated chicken, which failed to produce positive cell-mediated immunity (CMI) reactions were susceptible to challenge. In addition, 2 of 20 and 2 of 10 vaccinated chickens which did not produce a significant CMI response at 9 and 33 weeks of age, respectively, were susceptible to challenge.

Assessment of the cell-mediated immune response in chickens by detection of chicken interferon-γ in response to mitogen and recall Newcastle disease viral antigen stimulation

“…Although the proliferation response to polyclonal T-cell activation by mitogens was satisfactory, NDV-specific proliferation upon recall stimulation of the vaccinated groups was low and unreliable, as already observed (Giambrone et al, 1980;Karaca et al, 1996). The discrepancy between proliferation and ChIFN-g production after an ex vivo NDV stimulation might be attributed to the functional status of the responder cells or to the timing of the proliferation test.…”

“…A classical tool for the evaluation of CMI consists of measuring lymphocyte proliferation upon recall antigen stimulation (Giambrone et al, 1980;Karaca et al, 1996;Thiagarajan et al, 1999;Reynolds & Maraqa, 2000b;Alvarez et al, 2003). During this recall stimulation, cytokines such as IFN-g are produced by activated responder T cells.…”

Delayed Hypersensitivity Reaction as a Measure of Cell Mediated Immunity in Chickens Vaccinated with Sonicated Coccidial Vaccine

“…Following vaccines were prepared from the sonicated antigen (Akhtar et al, 1999 Giambrone et al (1980) with certain modifications was carried out to detect the cell mediated immune response. For this purpose, each group of immunized chicks were given the following allocated antigen (16 days post vaccination) intradermally (0.1 mL) in the comb with a 25 gauge needle.…”

“…Coccidial infections in chickens induce a variety of immune responses, many of which have been reported to adversely affect the parasite (Rose, 1976). Cell mediated immunity (CMI) has been shown to play a major role in resistance to coccidia In other animals (Klesius et al, 1975(Klesius et al, , 1976Liburd et al, 1972), little published work in this regard is available for chickens (Morita et al, 1973;Giambrone et al, 1980;Akhtar et al, 1999). Different methods have been used to detect the CMI in avian coccidiosis with variable success.…”

Eimeria tenella‐specific Chicken T‐Cell Clones Reactive to an Internal Image Anti‐Idiotypic Antibody: Correlation between Biological Activities and Protective Cell‐Mediated Immunity

“…As has been known for almost five decades, chickens that recover from infections with the parasites develop immunity (Tyzzer 1929). Ability of the parasite to induce both antibody and cellmediated immune responses is also well-established (Tanielian et al 1976, Rose 1978, Giambrone et al 1980, Bhogal et at. 1986, 1987, Lillehoj 1987.…”