The equine immune response to Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus during uterine infection.
The purpose of this study was to describe strain-specific immune responses to Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus) during uterine infection in horses. Five isolates of S. zooepidemicus were differentiated into four strains antigenically by bactericidal testing in blood of 12 horses, and genetically by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Eight healthy mares were then divided into two groups, each inoculated with one strain intrauterinely on three successive oestrous cycles followed by a second strain for three successive cycles, first and second strains being reversed for each group. Immune responses to both strains were assessed by bactericidal testing and immunoblotting over eight cycles. Both techniques indicated that immune responses to each strain arose at different times. Immunoblots showed greater binding to the first inoculated strain than to the second (P < 0.05). These data confirm that immune responses to S. zooepidemicus during uterine infection are partly strain-specific.
Causey
Robert C
RC
Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences and the Maine Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5735, USA. robert.causey@umit.maine.edu
Weber
James A
JA
Emmans
Erin E
EE
Stephenson
Lisa A
LA
Homola
Alma D
AD
Knapp
Kiley R
KR
Crowley
Ian F
IF
Pelletier
Danielle C
DC
Wooley
Nicole A
NA
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D006736:Horses; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D018502:Streptococcus equi / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014591:Uterine Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*