Evaluation of Immune Responses to Gamma- Irradiated (Subtype H9N2) Avian Influenza Vaccine Administered By Injection and Intranasal Routes in Layer Chickens

Document Type : Full Research Paper

Authors

1 Veterinary and Animal Science Department, Nuclear Agriculture Research School , Nuclear Science and Technology Research INstitute

2 Department of Agriculture, Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology (IROST), Tehran, Iran.

3 Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Karaj, Alborz, Iran

Abstract

H9N2 subtype of avian influenza virus (AIV) is the most common strain of low pathogenic AIV in the Middle East. The aim of this study was to investigate the humoral and cellular immune responses of commercial layer chickens immunized with gamma-inactivated H9N2 AIV. For this purpose, 120 one-day-old chickens of layer breed were divided into four groups including 3 replicates and 10 birds per replicate. Vaccination of chickens was done on days 11 and 25 of age. The first and second groups received the irradiated vaccine (IV) by intranasal and subcutaneous injection methods respectively, the third group was injected with formalin-inactivated vaccine and the fourth group was not vaccinated as the control. Anti-H9N2 serum antibodies, proliferation rate of splenocytes and the expression levels of interleukins 2, 6 and 10 and interferon gamma in these cells were investigated. The results indicated that in the groups immunized with intranasal IV the level of HI titers at 25 days of age was significantly higher than those in other groups. Additionally, stimulation index of splenocytes in 39 and 85 days of age and the level of gene expression of all the measured cytokines, especially interferon gamma in splenocytes at 39 and 55 days of age was significantly higher compared to formalin-inactivated vaccine. Based on the findings of the present study, the use of H9N2 AIV vaccine inactivated by gamma irradiation could be considered as a good candidate in layer chickens because it could induce antibody responses and cellular immunity at the levels higher than the formalin-inactivated vaccine.  

Keywords


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