Inherited dysgammaglobulinemia of chickens: reduced incidence of disease in parabiotic chimeras.
University of California, Davis (UCD) line 140 chickens develop a dysgammaglobulinemia characterized as selective 7S immunoglobulin (Ig) deficiency with elevated serum IgM levels. To study the role of bursal development on the expression of dysgammaglobulinemia in these birds, we examined the effect of bursacyte transfer to line 140 birds and parabiosis between UCD 140 and a control line of chickens on changes in serum IgM and 7S Ig levels. Bursacyte transfer was performed by injecting 18-day UCD 140 embryos (which had been cyclophosphamide treated on Day 15) with bursacytes from major histocompatibility complex B-matched control line (11 X 58) F1 birds. This transfer produced little change in the incidence of dysgammaglobulinemia in UCD 140 transfer birds (56%) compared to unmanipulated line 140 birds (60%). These data reflect a failure of line 140, rather than technique, because successful reconstitution was seen using line 11 X 58 birds injected with 11 X 58 bursacytes. In contrast, the generation of UCD 140/line 11 X 58 chimeras significantly reduced the incidence of dysgammaglobulinemia in line UCD birds. Indeed, fusion of the chorioallantoic vascular system (parabiosis) of UCD 140 and 11 X 58 embryos on Day 15 decreased the frequency of dysgammaglobulinemia of UCD 140 parabionts to 14% compared to 66% in unmanipulated line 140 controls. The success of parabiosis was 83% as determined by demonstrating chimerism with allogeneic blood groups. Moreover, the frequency of dysgammaglobulinemia in the 17% of parabionts that did not reveal chimerism was similar to unmanipulated UCD 140 chickens.
D000818:Animals; D001788:Blood Grouping and Crossmatching; D002060:Bursa of Fabricius / Q000166:cytology; D002642:Chick Embryo / Q000637:transplantation; D002645:Chickens / Q000235:genetics*; D002678:Chimera; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000494:pharmacology; D004406:Dysgammaglobulinemia / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D007519:Isoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D017710:Lymphocyte Transfusion; D010227:Parabiosis; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology
D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007519:Isoantigens; D003520:Cyclophosphamide