Serological investigations of a bovine respiratory disease ("urner pneumonie") resembling farmer's lung.
The immunological response of cattle exposed to moldy hay was examined by agar gel diffusion with standard farmer's lung hay antigens. A high incidence of precipitins against Micropolyspora faeni (60%) and moldy hay antigen (80%) was detected in exposed but apparently healthy cattle from a region with a high incidence of bovine farmer's lung. In comparison, in the plains, a low incidence area, we found only 1 animal of 164 harboring precipitins against M. faeni. We further observed that many animals from exposed populations lost their precipitins during pasturing and regained them during winter housing. Thirty-nine clinical cases of bovine farmer's lung ("Urner Pneumonie") were investigated serologically. Only 49% of these animals showed precipitins against M. faeni and 54% showed precipitins against moldy hay antigen. We discuss in this paper the probable causes of this apparent lack of immunological response.
D000362:Agar; D000818:Animals; D000946:Antigens, Fungal / Q000032:analysis; D001230:Aspergillus / Q000276:immunology; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D005203:Farmer's Lung / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D005658:Fungi / Q000276:immunology; D005779:Immunodiffusion; D007122:Immunoelectrophoresis; D008847:Micromonospora / Q000276:immunology; D011234:Precipitins; D012130:Respiratory Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012621:Seasons; D012698:Serologic Tests
D000946:Antigens, Fungal; D011234:Precipitins; D000362:Agar