A pilot study to investigate the measurement of immunoglobulin A in Welsh Cob and Welsh Pony foals’ faeces and their dam’s milk

ABSTRACT

Aims: To determine if an ELISA for measurement of IgA in equine serum could be used to measure concentrations of IgA in foal faeces and to determine correlations with concentrations in the milk of the dam.

Methods: Faeces from 20 Welsh Cob and Welsh Pony foals and milk from their dams were collected within 12?hours (Day 0) and at 6 days after parturition (Day 6). On Day 6, faeces could not be collected from 2/20 foals, and milk samples could not be collected from 3/20 mares. An equine IgA ELISA validated for serum and plasma was used to measure concentrations of IgA in all samples in triplicate. The precision of the assay for each sample type was determined using modified CV.

Results: IgA was not detectable in 7/20 Day 0 faecal samples and in 2/18 Day 6 faecal samples. For samples with detectable IgA, the mean modified CV was 10.5 (95% CI?=?6.0–15.0)% for Day 0 faecal samples, and was 6.8 (95% CI?=?4.3–9.4)% for Day 6 faecal samples. Median concentrations of IgA in faeces on Day 0 were lower than concentrations on Day 6 (0.7?mg/g vs. 37?mg/g dry matter; p?=?0.003). Concentrations of IgA in milk and faeces on Day 6 were statistically correlated (r?=?0.59; p?=?0.006).

Conclusions and clinical relevance: The IgA ELISA showed acceptable precision when used to estimate concentrations of IgA in foal faeces during the first week of life, but IgA could not be detected in 37% of meconium samples collected on Day 0. This assay may be useful for investigation of the role of maternal milk IgA in the gastrointestinal tract of neonatal foals, but further assessment of both accuracy and precision of the ELISA is required.     

口服特异性卵黄抗体对凡纳滨对虾抗WSSV感染的免疫保护效果

为探讨特异性卵黄抗体对凡纳滨对虾(Litopenaeus vannamei)抗白斑综合征病毒(white spot syndrome virus, WSSV)的免疫保护机制及效果,本研究以添加不同剂量WSSV卵黄抗体制剂(0、0.2%和0.5%)的饲料投喂凡纳滨对虾幼虾,免疫28 d后使用WSSV进行人工感染,测定感染对虾的肝胰腺免疫酶活力和免疫基因表达水平,以及感染后14 d内对虾的存活率。结果显示,WSSV感染3 d后,与未添加卵黄抗体制剂的对照组相比,0.2%免疫组对虾肝胰腺的超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)和酚氧化酶(PO)活力显著升高,酸性磷酸酶(ACP)和碱性磷酸酶(AKP)活力显著降低,热休克蛋白70基因(Hsp70)表达水平显著升高,凝集素基因(lectin)和β-1,3-葡聚糖结合蛋白–脂蛋白基因(β-GBP-HDL)表达水平显著降低;0.5%免疫组对虾肝胰腺的SOD活力显著升高,ACP和AKP活力显著降低,Hsp70基因表达水平显著升高,β-GBP-HDL基因表达水平显著降低。人工感染实验结果显示,WSSV感染14 d后,0.2%和0.5%免疫组对虾的存活率分别为48.89%和87.78%,均显著高于对照组(存活率为0),且0.5%免疫组对虾存活率显著高于0.2%免疫组。特异性卵黄抗体制剂能在一定程度上改变发病的进程,延迟对虾的发病和死亡时间,提高同期存活率。研究表明,口服特异性卵黄抗体制剂可以调节对虾肝胰腺免疫酶活力和免疫基因表达水平,显著提高凡纳滨对虾抗WSSV感染的能力。本研究为卵黄抗体抗WSSV感染机制的研究提供了参考,也为在生产上使用卵黄抗体防控WSSV感染提供了科学依据。     

VH1-44 gene usage defines a subset of canine B-cell lymphomas associated with better patient survival

The use of specific immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region (VH) genes has been associated with increased patient survival in human B-cell lymphomas (hBCL). Given the similarity of human and canine BCL (cBCL) in morphology and clinical treatment, we examined the choice of VH in cBCL and determined whether VH gene selection was a distinct feature associated with survival time in dogs. VH gene selection and mutational status in 52 cBCL, including 29 diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (cDLBCL, the most common subtype of cBCL), were analyzed by comparison with the 80 published canine germline VH gene sequences. We further examined the prognostic impact of the subgroups defined by these features on canine survival. We found that VH1-44 was preferentially expressed in the majority of the 52 cBCLs (60%) as well as in the majority of the cDLBCL subset (59%). VH1-44 gene expression was associated with a statistically better overall survival (p = 0.039) in cBCL patients, as well as in the cDLBCL subset of patients (p = 0.038). These findings suggest that VH gene selection in cBCL is not random and may therefore have functional implications for cBCL lymphomagenesis, in addition to being a useful prognostic biomarker.     

感染鸡贫血病毒雏鸡接种新城疫疫苗后免疫保护效应及其机理研究

 雏鸡 1日龄人工感染鸡贫血病毒 (CAV) ,于 8日龄接种 L asota疫苗 ,免疫后 2 8d进行新城疫强毒 (v NDV)攻击 ,以同龄未感染 CAV和用 L asota疫苗免疫并经 v NDV攻毒雏鸡为对照 ,检测其免疫保护效应 ,胸腺和脾脏 T细胞数量及 T细胞增殖反应 ,法氏囊和脾脏 Ig G+、Ig M+、Ig A+抗体生成细胞数量 ,血清免疫球蛋白 Ig G、Ig M、Ig A含量 ,血凝抑制抗体 (HI)滴度等。结果表明 ,CAV人工感染并用新城疫 (ND)疫苗免疫雏鸡经 v NDV攻击后的免疫保护率为 6 0 % ,对照组雏鸡 v NDV攻击后免疫保护率为 10 0 % ,胸腺和脾脏 T细胞数量和 T细胞增殖反应、法氏囊和脾脏Ig G+ 、Ig M+ 、Ig A+ 抗体生成细胞数量、血清 Ig G、Ig M、Ig A含量及 HI抗体滴度 ,均较对照组雏鸡显著降低。说明感染鸡贫血病毒雏鸡接种新城疫疫苗后的免疫保护效应及免疫功能明显降低。     

蜱免疫球蛋白结合蛋白研究进展

蜱体内的免疫球蛋白结合蛋白（immunoglobulin binding protein，IGBP）主要存在于血淋巴和唾液腺中，可以与进入蜱血淋巴中的宿主免疫球蛋白（immunoglobulin，Ig）结合，从而避免宿主免疫球蛋白对蜱内部器官的损害。免疫球蛋白结合蛋白结构和功能的进一步阐明，可为抗蜱疫苗的研发提供新的思路。本文综述了免疫球蛋白结合蛋白的发现及其研究进展。     

Effect of maternal cottonseed feed on the immune and antioxidant status of Santa Ines lambs

Cottonseed has been used as a nutritional alternative in animal production. However, consequences of this nutrient in the progeny is not well characterized. Thus, this work evaluated the effect on the immune and antioxidant status of the progeny of feeding Santa Ines ewe with or without cottonseed. Twenty-four Santa Ines ewes were distributed in two feeding regimes: cottonseed (CS) concentrate (n = 12) and soybean (SB) concentrate (n = 12). After birth, lambs remained with their mothers and blood samples were collected at 1^st, 3^rd, 7^th, 15^th, 30^th and 60^th day of life of 24 lambs born from mothers fed with (CS, n = 12) or without (SB, n = 12) cottonseed. Serum total protein, albumin, alpha beta globulin, gamma globulin, immunoglobulin G and M, activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT), oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and variables related to iron metabolism were affected only by sampling times (P < 0.05). The concentration of serum total protein, alpha beta globulin, gamma globulin and immunoglobulin G and M, GPx activity and ORAC values decreased as lamb age increased. Serum albumin concentration and CAT activity, in turn, increased as lamb age increased. In this work, maternal feeding with cottonseed did not affect the serum protein profile and antioxidant status of progeny during the lactation period, indicating no transfer of gossypol effects by milk secretions. Thus, the alternative in ruminants feeding with cottonseed can be used without maternal-descendant effects to immunity and oxidative stress in lambs.     

Quantification of stress sensitive markers in single fecal samples do not accurately predict excretion of these in the pig

All feces produced during 24 h were collected from five pigs and cortisol and immunoreactive cortisol metabolites (CICM), and IgA were quantified. Within pigs, the concentrations of CICM and IgA varied extensively between random samples obtained from a single fecal dropping, and deviated in most cases significantly from the true concentration measured in total fecal output (CV 6.7-130%). The CICM and IgA contents varied considerably (CV 8.1-114%) within and between individual fecal droppings from the same pig compared to the total fecal excretion. In conclusion, single random samples could not be used to reliably quantify the total fecal concentration or excretion of CICM or IgA in pigs. Analyses of all feces collected during shorter periods than 24 h did not provide an accurate estimate of the daily excretion of CICM. Thus, the concentration of stress sensitive molecules in random single fecal samples as an indicator of animal welfare should be interpreted with prudence.     

Characterization of the bovine immunoglobulin lambda light chain constant IGLC genes

To characterize the bovine immunoglobulin lambda light chain constant region (IGLC) genes, we have isolated a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clone by a PCR based approach from a bovine genomic DNA library, constructed using a genital ridge cell line derived from a male Holstein fetus. The positive BAC clone, containing the bovine IGLC genes, was fully sequenced and had a 138 kb insert. Sequence analysis revealed that the bovine immunoglobulin lambda light chain locus consisted of four joining-constant gene recombination units spanning approximately 20 kb DNA in length. A detailed examination of the recombination signal sequences, RNA splicing sites and coding sequences of the four joining-constant gene recombination units suggested that only two IGLC genes (IGLC2 and IGLC3) were functional while the IGLC1 and IGLC4 appeared to be pseudogenes. This conclusion was further confirmed by a series of RT-PCR amplifications, which also showed that among these four genes the IGLC3 was preferentially expressed in cattle. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the bovine IGLC genes were more closely related to their equivalents in sheep and goats than that to other mammals.     

Normal distribution of immunoglobulin isotypes in adult horses

Studies focusing on the equine humoral response are scarce, with a bias towards the pre- and post-parturition mare and its foal. The present study attempted to expand current knowledge by establishing normal ranges for adult horse serum isotypes. Immunoglobulin (Ig) concentrations were obtained by screening 47 horses of various breeds and in different training regimes. Radial immunodiffusion values (mg/dL) were 196 ± 73 for IgA, 2704 ± 1424 for IgG, 419 ± 220 for IgG(T) and 70 ± 30 for IgM. All values passed the Kolmogorov–Smirnov normality test. The results will be of use to the field veterinarian as well for the basic researcher working on horses.