Killer cells in the chicken: a microcytotoxicity assay using antigen-coated erythrocytes as targets.
A 51chromium (51Cr)release microcytotoxicity assay has been established for studying cell-mediated immunity in chickens to a potentially wide variety of antigens. The system investigated in detail uses thyroglobulin-coated chicken red blood cells (Tg-CRBC) to analyse effector cell mechanisms operative in spontaneous autoimmune thyroiditis in Obese strain (OS) chickens. A variety of technical parameters were investigated in order to optimise reliable, reproducible target cell preparation and to minimise spontaneous 51Cr-release. The final method adopted used tannic acid for coupling antigen to carefully selected donor erythrocytes of uniform MHC genotype. For the study of antibody dependent, cell-mediated cytotoxicity, Tg-CRBC were pre-sensitised with OS serum containing high titre Tg-autoantibody. Tannic acid-treated CRBC (TA-CRBC) served simultaneously as controls for the Tg specificity of direct cellular cytotoxicity (DCC) to Tg-CRBC, and also as target cells for natural, or spontaneous cellular cytotoxicity (SCC). With such an assay, cells capable of mediating Tg-specific DCC were demonstrated in the OS, but not in normal chickens. No differences in ADCC or SCC were observed when the two strains were considered as a whole, i.e. regardless of age, sex, MHC genotype or extent of disease.
D000818:Animals; D000920:Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity; D000941:Antigens; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D001793:Blood Preservation; D002645:Chickens; D002860:Chromium Radioisotopes; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D047348:Hydrolyzable Tannins; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D013966:Thyroiditis / Q000276:immunology; D013997:Time Factors
D000941:Antigens; D002860:Chromium Radioisotopes; D047348:Hydrolyzable Tannins