ARS | Publication request: PRODUCTION ON INTERFERON-GAMMA BY REINDEER (RANGIFER TARANDUS) BLOOD MONONUCLEAR CELLS RELEVANCE TO TUBERULOSIS DIAGNOSIS

Submitted to: Diseases at the Interface between Domestic Livestock and Wildlife Species
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: July 17, 2003
Publication Date: July 17, 2003
Citation: Waters, W.R., Palmer, M.V., Stoffregen, W.C., Whipple, D.L., Slaughter, R., Jones, S. 2003. Production on interferon-gamma by Reindeer (rangifer tarandus) blood Mononuclear cells Relevance to Tuberulosis Diagnosis [abstract]. Diseases at the Interface between Domestic Livestock and Wildlife Species.

Technical Abstract: Traditional skin tests have an apparent lack of specificity (i.e., false positives) for tuberculosis surveillance of reindeer. The objective of this study was to evaluate the utility of a commercially available test of interferon-g production (Cervigam') for use with samples from reindeer. Treatment groups included Mycobacterium bovis-infected (n = 11, 10**5 cfu strain 95-1315 intratonsillarly), M. bovis BCG-vaccinated (n = 10, 10**6 cfu subcutaneously), and naive reindeer (n = 13). Antigen-specific interferon-g responses were compared to lymphocyte proliferative and comparative cervical test (CCT) responses. Mononuclear cells from all reindeer, regardless of treatment group, produced interferon-g in response to pokeweed mitogen stimulation. Mean mycobacteria-specific interferon-g responses of M. bovis-infected reindeer exceeded (P < 0.05) those of BCG-vaccinated and naïve reindeer. Numerous naïve reindeer were classified as tuberculosis suspects by CCT, indicating poor specificity of this assay. Findings indicate that the Cervigam' assay may prove useful for monitoring the tuberculosis status of reindeer, as required by the USDA.