title: Interleukin-2 production in SC and TK chickens infected with Eimeria tenella.
abstract: SC and TK inbred chicken strains display differential protective immunity to coccidiosis, SC being more resistant and TK susceptible to disease. In this study, the association between interleukin (IL)-2 and disease phenotype was assessed by cytokine quantification in serum, duodenum, cecum, and spleen cell cultures of SC and TK chickens experimentally infected with Eimeria tenella. In general, after primary infection, SC and TK strains produced equivalent amounts of IL-2 in all sources examined. However, after secondary infection, SC animals displayed significantly greater IL-2 levels in serum and the duodenum compared with strain TK. IL-2 production after reinfection with Eimeria may be an important factor contributing to the genetic differences in coccidiosis between SC and TK chickens and provides a rational foundation for cytokine-based immunotherapeutic approaches to disease control strategies.
authors.affiliation: Parasite Biology, Epidemiology, and Systematics Laboratory, Animal and Natural Resources Institute, United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA.
authors.forename: Guangxing
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Erik P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Lillehoj
authors.forename: Hyun S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lillehoj
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000032:analysis; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002645:Chickens / Q000469:parasitology*; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016786:Eimeria tenella / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology*; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007376:Interleukin-2