Fowl immunoglobulins: quantitation and antibody activity during Marek's disease in genetically resistant and susceptible birds.

Five-week-old birds of resistant (N) and susceptible (P) genetic lines were inoculated with the JM strain of Marek's disease (MD) virus. MD occurred only in P-line birds; one-third had died by the end of the experiment (63 days after inoculation). Sera were examined for antibodies (precipitating, virus neutralizing,and fluorescing), and immunoglobulins were measured. Antibodies were associated with immunoglobulin classes by density gradient centrifugation and utilization of specific antisera to gowl immunoglobulins in indirect immunofluorescence. Precipitating antibodies were found in both lines; they first appeared 7 days after inoculation in P-line birds and 14 days after inoculation in N-line birds, but thereafter there was no difference between the two genetic lines. A peak of neutralizing antibody occurred in both lines between 6 and 12 days. Thereafter neutralizing antibodies increased gradually throughout the experiment. Neutralizing antibody levels were at this stage often higher in N-line than in P-line birds. The fluorescent antibody test showed transient immunoglobulin (Ig) M antibody from 7 to 9 days in N-line birds and 5 to 12 days in P-line birds; this corresponded with the initial peak of neutralizing antibody. Antibodies were seen from 7 to 8 days after inoculation and increased gradually durin gthe experiment, generally paralleling the secondary increase in neutralizing antibodies. Ultracentrifugation confirmed the presence of IgM and IgG antibodies as described. Antibodies of the IgA class were not found. The alterations in serum immunoglobulin levels occurred in three phrases: (i) 1 to 9 days postinfection, there was an increase in IgM and IgA compared with uninfected control birds; (ii) 10 to 20 days postinfection, Ig M and IgA levels were lower than in control birds; and (iii) 21 days postinfection, until the end of experiment, IgA returned to normal levels, IgG increased to about eight times higher than in control birds, and IgM in P-line birds returned to normal levels and in N-line birds reached and maintained levels about double those of control birds. Another experiment was designed to examine the separate effects of moving and inoculation of uninfected kidney cells and virus-infected kidney cells. The changes in immunoglobulins observed in the first experiment occurred only after infection with MD virus and were not related to movement or handling stress. It was concluded that no significant primary difference exists in the humoral immune system between fowls resistant and susceptible to MD; all differences could be related to the immunosuppressive effects of MD, which are greater in susceptible birds apparently due to the greater lymphoid tissue damage in these strains.