title: T-cell responses to Mycobacterium avium PPD antigens in gastro-intestinal helminth co-infected chickens in Central Ethiopia.
abstract: A cross-sectional study was conducted on extensively reared chickens of three selected agro-climatic zones in Central Ethiopia to examine the predisposing effect of gastro-intestinal helminthes to intestinal Mycobacterium avium when it occurs as co-infection. This was done through a Lymphocyte Stimulation Test (LST) using avian PPD on peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from the blood of chickens and gross examination of digestive tract for the presence of helminth parasites. Data were analyzed using the statistical softwares SAS (1994) and Intercooled STATA version 6. Fourteen (14.7%) out of the 95 examined chickens were positive in in vitro LST showing stimulation index (SI) > or = 2. There was a significant (chi2 = 9.93, P < 0.01) difference in prevalence of M. avium by altitude: highest in chickens from lowland (27.8%) areas, followed by 13.3% in chickens from mid altitude and none was reacted to LST from highland region. A significant relationship (chi2 = 9.58, P < 0.01) in cestode co-infection with M. avium was found. There was no significant (chi2 = 1.66, P > 0.05) relationship in nematode co-infection with M. avium.
authors.affiliation: Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tadesse
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Woldemeskel
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Medhia
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tibbo
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Molla
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Abate
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Britton
mesh_terms: D000531:Altitude; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D006374:Helminthiasis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D009162:Mycobacterium avium / Q000276:immunology*; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014373:Tuberculin / Q000276:immunology*; D014379:Tuberculosis, Avian / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D014373:Tuberculin