ANTIBODY RESPONSE IN SOWS FOLLOWING INTRAMAMMARY OR INTRAMUSCULAR IMMUNIZATION WITH A KILLED ESCHERICHIA COLI VACCINE

Abstract

Summary. Pregnant sows were immunized either intramuscularly or intramammarily with a killed E. coli vaccine. Sampies of blood and mammary secretion were assayed for antibody to E. coli eells and E. coh enterotoxin. The assoeiation of each class of inununogloimlin with antibody to the Inieterial cells was also estimated. It was found that immunization by either method increased direct agglutination titres and antiglohulin enhaneement titres in serum and mauimary secretion. There were no major differences in these parameters het\veen the two groups of sows. In serum and mammary secretion from Ijoth groups of sows IgG was quantitatf\'ely the most important class of immunoglobulin associated with antibody to E. coli cells. Immunization had the eflect of increasing tiie percentage of IgC; and IgM associated with antibody in lilood serum from about 5t o about 20%. In contrast, the percentage of IgA in serum with antibody activity against £. coli was around 20^ prior to immunization and did not alter significantly after immunization. Sampies of IJIOOC! and mammary secretion from sows immunized iiitramammariiy were more effective in neutraiizing E. eoU enterotoxin than corresponding samples from sows iuununized intramusculariy; the biologieai significance of this finding is at present uiicertaiu.INTRODUCTION.

The Local Immune Response in the Mammary Gland of the Sow Following Infusion of a Protein Antigen

“…Although intramammary infusion would not be a practical proposition in the sow, its experimental use provides a tool for providing greater understanding of immune responses in the mammary gland. Thus, in studies designed to examine immunity to bacterial or viral enteropathogens there have been reports on the effects of injection of vaccines into mammary parenchyma (2,7) or infusion via the teat orifice into the gland cisterns (20,21). Bourne et al (3) reported on experiments in which ferritin was injected into the mammary tissue of sows, but there is no available information on the basic consequences (in terms of plasma cells in mammary tissue, antibody, and immunoglobulins in milk) of infusion of a protein antigen into the udder of the sow in late pregnancy.…”

Immunoglobulins in Blood Serum of Foetal Pigs

“…(Blood and Henderson 1974), other serotypes of Leptospira, SMEDl virus (Wang et a1 1973) and blood or tissue cells of the dam. Because of the very high levels of antibody to E. coliin serum of adult sows (Watson 1975), it was considered that detection of antibody of this specificity in foetal serum would be a strong indication that it was maternallyderived.…”

Escherichia coli-associated porcine neonatal diarrhea: antibacterial activities of colostrum from genetically susceptible and resistant sows

“…The secretion of antibodies into milk and colostrum, which has been shown to be protective in experimental infections, may be enhanced by vaccination of sows with killed pathogenic E. coli strains either orally (11,12,18), parenterally (5,20,27,28), or by both routes (7). The effects of using adhesive E. coli antigen preparations in vaccines either alone (15,21) or combined with heat-killed bacteria (16) have also been investigated.…”