Development of Cell-Mediated Immunity in Young Ruminants

Development of cell-mediated immunity in young ruminants appears to be under the influence of the thymus. In sheep, prenatal removal of the thymus has little effect on postnatal growth of lambs. However, lambs are immunedeficient compared with normal controls, and they exhibit depressed delayed hype...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of dairy science 1985-01, Vol.68 (1), p.257-260
Main Author: Outteridge, P.M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aging
agneau
animales jovenes
Animals
B-Lymphocytes - immunology
Biological and medical sciences
Breeding
calves
Cattle - immunology
control de enfermedades
controle de maladies
cordero
disease control
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Fundamental immunology
General aspects. Ontogeny. Phylogeny
immunite
immunity
Immunity, Cellular
Immunobiology
inmunidad
jeune animal
lambs
Major Histocompatibility Complex
Sheep - immunology
T-Lymphocytes - immunology
ternero
Thymus Gland - immunology
Trichostrongyloidea - immunology
trichostrongylus
Vaccination - veterinary
veau
young animals
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Summary:Development of cell-mediated immunity in young ruminants appears to be under the influence of the thymus. In sheep, prenatal removal of the thymus has little effect on postnatal growth of lambs. However, lambs are immunedeficient compared with normal controls, and they exhibit depressed delayed hypersensitive skin responses to antigens such as tuberculin purified protein derivative. Lymphopenia accompanying the immunodeficiency appears to be due to depletion of a particular population of T-cells (thymus derived) that have reduced response to mitogens and decreased numbers as the lamb matures. Young lambs are less responsive than adult sheep to vaccination with irradiated Trichostrongylus colubriformis larvae. The basis of this lowered responsiveness appears to be not only the immaturity of the cell-mediated immune response but also the segregation of the lambs into high and low responders. This immune responsiveness is possibly under the genetic control of the ovine major histo compatibility complex. It may be possible to select and breed sheep and cattle for responsiveness to vaccination against parasitic, viral, and bacterial diseases.
ISSN:0022-0302
1525-3198
DOI:10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(85)80815-8