Induction of Immune Suppression in the Chick by an Optimal Dose of an Immunizing Antigen in the Presence of its Specific Maternal Antibody

Abou Elazab Mohamed Fahmy

Fukushima Yuji

Fujita Yukihiro

Horiuchi Hiroyuki

Matsuda Haruo

Furusawa Shuichi

Journal of Veterinary Medical Science

Prolonged interference or suppression of maternal antibodies of the humoral immune response of newly hatched chicks to active immunization has been documented; however, the immunological mechanisms responsible for such suppression are still unclear. Laying hens were immunized with dinitrophenyl-keyhole limpet hemocyanin (DNP-KLH). Purified maternal anti-DNP or non-specificIgY antibodies were transferred by yolk sac inoculation to newly hatched chicks, and they were immunized with DNP-KLH or rabbit serum albumen (RSA) at 1 and 4 weeks of age. The concentrations of anti-DNP and anti-RSA antibodies in serum samples of these chicks were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The immune responses of the chicks that received a high dose of maternal anti-DNP antibodies and were immunized with an appropriate dose of DNP-KLH were suppressed. However, those of the chicks that received the same high dose of maternal non-specific IgY antibodies and were immunized with an appropriate dose of DNP-KLH and those of the chicks that received a high dose of maternal anti-DNP antibodies and were immunized with RSA were not suppressed. On the other hand, suppression of anti-DNP antibody production would not be induced if the chicks received a high dose of antigen specific maternal antibodies and were immunized with a high dose of the same antigen. These results revealed that the immune suppressive effect of maternal antibodies on the immune response of the newly hatched chicks was antigen specific and depended mainly on the ratio of antigen/maternal antibody at the time of immunization.

antigen specificity

Chick

IgY

maternal antibody

suppression

動物学 [ 480 ]

英語

Japanese Society of Veterinary Science

Copyright (c) 2010 社団法人日本獣医学会

[ISSN] 0916-7250

[DOI] 10.1292/jvms.09-0298

[NCID] AA10796138

[DOI] http://dx.doi.org/10.1292/jvms.09-0298