Humoral and cell-mediated immune responses of beef and dairy cattle experimentally infested with Psoroptes ovis.
OBJECTIVE
To compare cellular and humoral immune responses of beef (Belgian White and Blue [BWB]) and dairy (Friesian-Holstein [FH]) cattle to Psoroptes ovis infestation and to determine whether P ovis infestation impaired immune responses to infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus (IBR) vaccine or an immunogenic protein (keyhole-limpet hemocyanin [KLH]).


METHODS
19 BWB and 6 FH 1-year-old calves.


METHODS
2 trials were performed. In each trial, 7 (trial 1) or 6 (trial 2) BWB calves and 3 FH calves were experimentally infested with P ovis and 3 BWB calves were maintained as uninfested controls. Animals were inoculated with KLH and IBR virus vaccine twice; 3 BWB calves in each trial were treated with ivermectin. Serum antibody responses to KLH, IBR virus, and P ovis were measured by use of ELISA. A lymphocyte transformation assay was used to determine nonspecific responses to 3 mitogens and specific lymphocyte reactivity to P ovis antigen.


RESULTS
In each trial, 3 BWB and 3 FH calves developed clinical signs of psoroptic mange and mites could be recovered. Infested and control animals developed similar antibody titers to KLH and IBR virus. Antibodies to P ovis were detected early in some infested calves, and this was correlated with a marked cell-mediated immune response. Lymphocyte responsiveness to the 3 mitogens was not significantly different among groups.


CONCLUSIONS
In these calves, infestation with P ovis induced a marked humoral and cell-mediated immune response. Immunosuppression was not evident.
Lonneux
J F
JF
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Belgium.
Nguyen
T Q
TQ
Hollanders
W
W
Denis
M
M
Thiry
E
E
Pastoret
P P
PP
Losson
B
B
D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis*; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000276:immunology; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D006433:Hemocyanins / Q000276:immunology; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology; D007241:Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis / Q000276:immunology; D007559:Ivermectin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008925:Mites / Q000276:immunology*; D012532:Scabies / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012867:Skin / Q000469:parasitology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D014765:Viral Vaccines; D007559:Ivermectin; D006433:Hemocyanins; C032808:keyhole-limpet hemocyanin