Immune and physiological responses of turkeys with green-liver osteomyelitis complex

Abstract

A study of field turkeys was undertaken in order to determine the involvement of relative immunological differences in the etiology of turkey osteomyelitis complex (TOC). Lame and normal turkeys were sampled from commercial flocks just prior to processing in two separate trials. After testing for functions of both humoral and cellular immunity, the turkeys were necropsied and examined for lesions of TOC. There were significantly higher relative spleen and over weights and significantly lower body weights and relative bursal weights in birds with TOC. The birds with TOC had lower response to phytohemagglutinin-P in both in vivo and in vitro tests as well as lower circulating lymphocyte counts and higher monocyte, heterophil, and total white blood cell counts. There was a significantly higher antibody response to sheep red blood cells in turkeys with TOC, whereas antibody response to Salmonella pullorum antigen was not different. There were no significant differences in the percentages of mononuclear cells or heterophils able to phagocytize bacteria or latex particles, or kill bacteria; however, the heterophils from turkeys with TOC lesions did phagocytize significantly fewer latex particles per cell than did those of the healthy turkeys. Total serum protein, uric acid, and blood urea nitrogen levels were higher in birds with TOC, whereas hemoglobin, iron, alkaline phosphatase, and gamma-glutamyl-transferase levels were lower. Although many of the differences in birds with TOC could be caused by the normal host reaction to infection, further study may reveal innate differences that contribute to susceptibility to TOC.

Trade‐off between growth and immune function: a meta‐analysis of selection experiments

“…Most of the results listed above refer to humoral immune function, and although we found no difference between humoral and cellular immune responses in the meta‐analyses, various articles suggest that fast‐growing chicken‐lines have stronger cellular responses compared with slow‐growing lines (Corrier 1990; Kreukniet et al. 1994; Bayyari et al. 1997a; Cheema, Qureshi & Havenstein 2003; Van Hemert et al.…”

“…A dysfunction of the broiler's specific cellular and humoral immune system has been proposed to underlie the health problems and enhanced disease sensitivity (Koenen, Boonstra-Blom & Jeurissen 2002). Most of the results listed above refer to humoral immune function, and although we found no difference between humoral and cellular immune responses in the meta-analyses, various articles suggest that fast-growing chicken-lines have stronger cellular responses compared with slow-growing lines (Corrier 1990;Kreukniet et al 1994;Bayyari et al 1997a;Cheema, Qureshi & Havenstein 2003;Van Hemert et al 2006;Cheema et al 2007;Swin-kels et al 2007). Thus, we conclude that the results from the selection lines and the non-experimental comparisons are largely comparable, in particular for humoral immune responses, supporting our conclusion that selection for growth is achieved at the expense of immune function.…”

Diversity of Escherichia coli strains involved in vertebral osteomyelitis and arthritis in broilers in Brazil

“…Bacteria colonizing the vascular sprouts that invade the physis of a growing bone, provoke an inflammatory response that results in osteomyelitis. Transphyseal blood vessels in birds serve as conduits for the process to spread bacteria into the joint and surrounding soft tissues [45]. …”

Colibacillosis in poultry: unravelling the molecular basis of virulence of avian pathogenicEscherichia coliin their natural hosts

“…In turkeys, APEC also causes osteomyelitis complex characterized by lesions including green discolouration of the liver, arthritis/synovitis, softtissue abscesses, and osteomyelitis of the proximal tibia in an otherwise normal-appearing processed turkey carcass (Huff et al, 2000). Typically, this disease is observed in male adolescent turkeys that have low levels of cell-mediated immunity (Bayyari et al, 1997;Huff et al, 2000), implying that defects in the immunity of individual male turkeys lead to disease.…”