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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #32578
Title: VARIABILITY IN ELICITED IMMUNE RESPONSE WITH RECOMBINANT ANTIGENS TO COCCIDIAL CHALLENGE IN BROILER BIRDS DUE TO ADJUVANT SELECTION AND BIRD SEX

Author
item Danforth, Harry
item Augustine, Patricia
item CLARE R L - SMITHKLINE BEECHAM ANML

Submitted to: American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/1994
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: A line of broiler birds was used to evaluate the effect of Freund's complete (FCA) and Amphigen adjuvants and bird sex in battery and floorpen immunization studies with a combination of three recombinant antigens (RA). Male birds were found to have increased nonspecific immune response as measured by weight gain and feed conversion to coccidial challenge with FCA when compared to female birds in battery trials. No such increase in nonspecific immune response to challenge was seen with either sex with Amphigen. Subsequent battery and floorpen trails both showed significant elicited protection in male birds against challenge by two different species of coccidia after immunization with the 3 RA antigens and Amphigen. Protection with female birds only occurred with challenge of one coccidial species. Although the FCA demonstrated a protective response in both sexes of birds with the RA antigens against both coccidial species, the nonspecific response in sham-immunized birds was significantly higher than unimmunized-inoculated controls. This result made it difficult to interpret the degree of elicited protective immune response of the RA antigens and FCA.