[Serum protein spectrum in chickens with different degrees of resistance to Salm. gallinarum, and the relation between globulin levels and antibody formation].

An experiment was carried out with 231 chickens of the Leghorn breed, 177--of the Cornish breed, and 532--of the White Plymouth Rock breed. In order to check the resistance of the birds to typhoid all of them were infected orally at the age of 2.5 months with an 18-hour broth culture of Salmonella gallinarum. Depending on the clinical course of the disease and the results of the bacteriologic investigations the birds were divided into three groups: A--chickens that did not develop the infection; B--survivors; and C--birds that died. The total protein in the serum was determined by the classical method of Kingsley, the protein spectrum--through electrophoresis in agar by the microexpress method of Wieme, and the antibody production--by the classical serum agglutination test. Differences were established in the level of the total globulins as well as in that of alfa, beta, and gamma globulins and the albumins and total protein in dependence on the resistance of chickens to Salmonella gallinarum. These changes were more slightly expressed in the birds that did not develop the disease, and were more strongly expressed in those that died. There were also breed-associated differences as to the deviations of the protein spectrum indices in relation to the resistance to typhoid. A correlation was also established between the level of globulins and the antibody production.