Evaluation of antibody response and nonspecific lymphocyte blastogenesis following inoculation of a live attenuated bluetongue virus vaccine in goats.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate vaccine safety, antibody response, and nonspecific lymphocyte blastogenesis following inoculation of a commercial monovalent live attenuated bluetongue virus (BTV) serotype 2 vaccine in goats.


METHODS
12 nonpregnant and nonlactating Saanen goats.


METHODS
6 goats were inoculated with the monovalent live attenuated BTV serotype 2 vaccine, which has been widely used in Italy during the proceding 2 years. The other 6 goats were unvaccinated and represented negative controls. Nonspecific lymphocyte blastogenesis was evaluated 14 and 7 days before and 7, 21, and 49 days after vaccination by measuring DNA synthesis in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) stimulated with phytohemagglutinin, concanavalin-A, and pokeweed mitogen. On the same days as lymphocyte blastogenesis, blood samples were taken to determine serum concentrations of anti-BTV antibodies.


RESULTS
During the 7 weeks following vaccination, PBMCs obtained from vaccinated goats had a significantly decreased response to mitogens in terms of DNA synthesis, compared with PBMCs from the same goats before vaccination. Conversely during the experiment, no significant change was found in the response of the PBMCs obtained from unvaccinated goats. Starting from 21 days after vaccination, serum from vaccinated goats had anti-BTV antibodies. No anti-BTV antibodies were detected in the serum from unvaccinated goats.


CONCLUSIONS
Inoculation of goats with the monovalent live attenuated BTV serotype 2 vaccine described herein resulted in a profound depression of nonspecific lymphocyte blastogenesis, which might compromise the resistance of vaccinated goats to pathogens.
Lacetera
Nicola
N
Dipartimento di Produzioni Animali, Università degli Studi della Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy.
Ronchi
Bruno
B
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000276:immunology*; D001820:Bluetongue virus / Q000276:immunology*; D003208:Concanavalin A; D004261:DNA Replication / Q000276:immunology; D006041:Goats / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens; D013997:Time Factors; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated / Q000276:immunology; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated; D014765:Viral Vaccines; D003208:Concanavalin A