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ARS Home » Plains Area » College Station, Texas » Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center » Food and Feed Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #154314
Title: DIFFERENTIAL PRO-INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINE MRNA EXPRESSION IN HETEROPHILS ISOLATED FROM SALMONELLA-RESISTANT AND -SUSCEPTIBLE CHICKENS

Author
item Swaggerty, Christina - Christi
item FERRO, PAMELA - TX A&M UNIVERSITY
item ROTHWELL, LISA - TX A&M UNIVERSITY
item PEVZNER, IGAL - COBB-VANTRESS, INC
item Kogut, Michael - Mike
item KAISER, PETE - INSTITUTE ANIM HEALTH

Submitted to: ARS Immunology Workshop
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/3/2003
Publication Date: 12/3/2003
Citation: SWAGGERTY, C.L., FERRO, P.J., ROTHWELL, L., PEVZNER, I.Y., KOGUT, M.H., KAISER, P. DIFFERENTIAL PRO-INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINE MRNA EXPRESSION IN HETEROPHILS ISOLATED FROM SALMONELLA-RESISTANT AND -SUSCEPTIBLE CHICKENS. ARS IMMUNOLOGY WORKSHOP. 2003. ABSTRACT P. 57.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: We have conducted studies utilizing a parental pair of broiler chickens (lines A and B) and the F1 reciprocal crosses (C and D). Previously we showed increased in vitro heterophil functional efficiency translates to increased in vivo resistance against a systemic Salmonella enteritidis (SE) infection. Heterophils are capable of producing cytokines and are known to modulate acute protection against Salmonella in young poultry. We hypothesize that heterophils from SE-resistant chickens (A and D) have an upregulated pro-inflammatory cytokine response compared to heterophils from SE-susceptible chickens (B and C). In this study, heterophils were isolated from day-old chicks, stimulated with SE or SE opsonized with either normal chicken serum or immune serum against SE, and quantitative real-time RT-PCR using TaqMan chemistry was used to ascertain levels of cytokine mRNA expression. Heterophils from SE-resistant chicks (A and D) had significantly higher mRNA expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, and IL-18) upon treatment with all stimulants compared to heterophils from SE-susceptible lines (B and C). Further, heterophils from SE-resistant chicks had significantly decreased mRNA expression levels of TGF-beta4, an anti-inflammatory cytokine, compared to heterophils from SE-susceptible chicks. These data indicate that chickens with heterophils more able to mount a pro-inflammatory cytokine response may determine if the chickens are going to be resistant or susceptible to Salmonella infections. Therefore heterophil functional efficiency and cytokine production may be useful biomarkers for poultry breeders to consider when developing new immunocompetent lines of birds.