Characterisation of duck thromhocytes

Duck thrombocytes were initially identified in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCS) purified from whole blood on Ficoll-Paque density gradients by examining stained smears of these cells. These thrombocytes could be readily purified from lymphocytes on the FACStar cell sorter by their increased side-scatter. They were similar to chicken thrombocytes in both appearance and function; they had a diameter of 4.5–6 μm and contained large vacuoles and were able to phagocytose carbon and Staphylococcus aureus. A monoclonal antibody (mAb) BA3 was generated which binds specifically to duck thrombocytes and has facilitated the characterisation of these cells which comprise up to 50–60 per cent of cells in Ficoll-Paque purified duck PBMCS.