Optimal dose and timing in phytohaemagglutinin skin-testing of deer.
OBJECTIVE
To establish the optimal dose of the mitogen phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) and the optimal time for measuring increased skin-fold thickness in red deer following intradermal injection, as an indicator of cell-mediated immune response.


METHODS
Three doses (10, 50 and 250 microg) of PHA were injected intradermally in the right side of the neck, and phosphate buffered saline (PBS) was injected at a fourth site as a control, in 20 captive Iberian red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) hinds. Skin-fold thicknesses were measured at 0, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84 and 96 h following injection.


RESULTS
The highest dose of PHA tested (250 microg) resulted in a clear and long-lasting cellular response; increases in skin-fold thickness between 48 and 84 h post-injection varied minimally and response correlated positively with liveweight. No correlations with liveweight and no clear increases in skin-fold thickness occurred at the lower doses of PHA or the PBS.


CONCLUSIONS
This technique could be applied with minimal training and without specialised equipment in deer, for immunological and ecological research.
Fernández-de-Mera
I G
IG
Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain E13071.
Höfle
U
U
Vicente
J
J
Garcia
A
A
Rodriguez
O
O
Gortázar
C
C
D000818:Animals; D003670:Deer; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D007271:Injections, Intradermal / Q000662:veterinary; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000276:immunology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D012882:Skin Tests / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D012885:Skinfold Thickness; D013997:Time Factors
D010835:Phytohemagglutinins