Characterization of avian thymic hormone and chicken parvalbumin 3 target cells.

Avian thymic hormone (ATH) is a β-parvalbumin produced by epithelial cells in the thymic cortex and in the eyes of chickens. Chicken parvalbumin 3 (CPV3) is a homologous protein produced in the thymus and in hair cells of the chicken ear. ATH circulates in the blood on a five-day cycle and stimulates cell-mediated immunity when administered to young chickens.

Abundance of IFN-α and IFN-γ gene transcripts and absence of IL-2 transcripts in the blood of chickens vaccinated with live or inactivated NDV.

As immune responses to live and inactivated vaccines might differ, temporal responses of broiler chickens to vaccination were examined on the basis of the abundance in the circulating blood of gene transcripts of IFN-α, IFN-γ and IL-2, critical cytokines for immune responses. Blood samples were collected 6, 12 and 24 hours, and 7 and 14 days following vaccination with either live or inactivated Newcastle disease virus, La Sota strain, at 14 days of age, and the abundance of transcripts for each cytokine was assayed by real-time RT-PCR. Physiological saline and vaccine emulsion without viral antigen were administered to control groups for live and inactivated vaccine groups, respectively.

Immunogenicity and safety of Queensland V4 and Ulster 2C strains of Newcastle disease virus given to maternally immune, newly hatched chickens by nebulization.

Commercial chickens with a high level of maternal antibodies for Newcastle disease were vaccinated when newly hatched with Queensland V4 or Ulster 2C Newcastle disease virus (NDV) strains by nebulization. The exposure time to a fine aerosol of vaccine produced with an ultrasonic nebulizer was 60 sec. The chickens were challenged oculonasally with virulent NDV strain Texas GB in weekly intervals up to the 49th day of life.

Avian thymic hormone treatment of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from young chicks stimulates acute graft-versus-host reaction in chicken embryos.

Avian thymic hormone (ATH) is a parvalbumin produced by epithelial cells in the thymic cortex of chickens and circulates in the blood on a 5-day cycle. It stimulates precocious development of cell-mediated immunity. The effect of partially purified extracts of thymus (TE) and purified ATH were tested for their effect on the acute graft-versus-host reaction (GVHR).

Immunomodulation of chickens with the nonionic block polymer T150R1.

Chickens injected subcutaneously at one day of age with oil-in-water emulsions of the nonioinic block polymer T150R1 developed higher titres to sheep erythrocytes and killed Brucella abortus than did untreated chickens when they were immunised with the antigens one and two weeks later. The increase was IgM only. Cell-mediated immunity was not affected as measured by blastogenic responses.

Chicken anemia virus and infectious bursal disease virus interfere with transcription of chicken IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma mRNA.

Chicken anemia virus (CAV) and infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) are the two most important viruses that cause immunosuppression in commercial chickens. Because inapparent, subclinical infections by these viruses cause immunosuppression, there is need for assessment of the immune status of chickens. Interference with induction of transcription for chicken interferon-alpha (ChIFN-alpha) and ChIFN-gamma was noted after subclinical infections with either CAV or IBDV.