Immune responses to an Eimeria acervulina infection in different broilers lines.
The (T-cell) immune responses of two different broiler lines to a primary Eimeria acervulina infection were investigated. The lines used were a commercial fast-growing broiler line and a slow-growing type of broiler as used in organic farming. Seven-day-old broilers of both lines were infected with 5 x 10(4) oocysts of E. acervulina. The animals were weighed and a species-specific real-time PCR was used to quantify the total amount of parasites in the duodenum. In the fast-growing line, a lower parasite load was seen from day 4 onwards compared to the slow-growing line. In both lines the intestinal peak of Eimeria DNA was observed at day 5 post infection (p.i.). In the duodenum no increase in CD4(+) T-cells was found in both infected lines, but a fast increase in CD8(+) T-cells was observed in the fast-growing line. At day 3 p.i. in the slow-growing broilers an IL-18 mRNA response was observed. At day 4 p.i. strong IFN-gamma and IL-8 mRNA responses were found in both lines. No IL-4 mRNA responses were found in the duodenum. In conclusion, both lines have different growth rates and control and infected conditions. Based on the kinetics of observed phenomena a primary infection with E. acervulina in 7-day-old broilers seems to generate an early CD8alpha(+) response in fast-growing broilers compared to the slow-growing broilers. This difference in immune reaction after an E. acervulina infection could result in a different Eimeria load in the duodenum.
Swinkels
W J C
WJ
Animal Sciences Group, P.O. Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands. Willem.Swinkels@wur.nl <Willem.Swinkels@wur.nl>
Post
J
J
Cornelissen
J B
JB
Engel
B
B
Boersma
W J A
WJ
Rebel
J M J
JM
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count / Q000662:veterinary; D002645:Chickens / Q000276:immunology*; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004539:Eimeria / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000662:veterinary; D016130:Immunophenotyping / Q000662:veterinary; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D016053:RNA, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D011897:Random Allocation; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary
D016053:RNA, Protozoan