Cell-mediated immune response to virulent and attenuated Anaplasma marginale administered to cattle in live and inactivated forms.

The leukocyte migration-inhibition test (LMIT) and lymphocyte transformation of blood leukocytes from cattle exposed to virulent, attenuated, and inactivated preparations of Anaplasma marginale served as indices of cell-mediated immunity in bovine anaplasmosis. The LMIT response increased markedly in cattle vaccinated with attenuated A marginale or injected with virulent A marginale. Cattle inoculated with inactivated anaplasma developed a transient, low-level LMIT response. The response to antigenic stimulation recorded in the lymphocyte transformation test of leukocytes collected from cattle which were given live anaplasma was less than the response elicited from leukocytes collected from cattle vaccinated with inactivated anaplasma in adjuvant.