Immune capacity of the chicken bursectomized at 60 hr of incubation: surface immunoglobulin and B-L (La-like) antigen-bearing cells.

Chickens were surgically bursectomized at 60 hr of incubation before the bursal anlage appears. Completeness of the bursectomy was confirmed at autopsy at 10 wk of age. These embryonically bursectomized (Bx) chickens are known to produce immunoglobulins of IgM, IgG, and IgA classes, but so far no specific antibodies have been observed even after heavy immunization. Regarding the appearance of surface immunoglobulin positive (s-Ig+) cells, the most striking effect of bursectomy was observed in the frequency of s-IgG+ cells, which were markedly decreased in the spleen, peripheral blood, and thymus of the Bx birds when compared with the age-matched controls. s-IgM+ cells were significantly decreased in the peripheral blood and s-IgA+ cells in the spleen of the Bx birds. In contrast to these findings, s-Ig+ cells of all three classes were present in normal frequency in the bone marrow. Bursectomy had no effect on the total lymphocyte and other white cell counts in the peripheral blood. Likewise, no effect on the frequency of B-L (Ia-like) antigen-positive cells in different organs was observed.