IN VITRO AND IN VIVO DIFFERENTIAL CYTOKINE EXPRESSION BETWEEN CHICKENS AND DUCKS FOLLOWING INFECTION WITH AVIAN INFLUENZA

Authors: Kapczynski, Darrell; Pantin Jackwood, Mary

Submitted to: Avian Immunology Research Group Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/23/2006
Publication Date: 10/21/2006
Citation: Kapczynski, D.R., Pantin Jackwood, M.J. 2006. In vitro and in vivo differential cytokine expression between chickens and ducks following infection with avian influenza [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 9th Avian Immunology Research Group, October 21-24, 2006, Paris, France. p. 43.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Chickens and ducks display differing susceptibilities to avian influenza (AI). While waterfowl, including ducks, are considered natural reservoirs for AI and rarely display clinical signs of disease, chickens are highly susceptible to the virus. The reasons for the differences in susceptibility and pathogenicity of different avian species to different pathotypes of AI is unclear and ill defined. The innate immune response is responsible for detecting invading microorganisms during the initial stages of infection, which is a crucial determinant of disease resistance or susceptibility. These studies were designed to examine the role of the innate immune response in protection from disease by measuring cytokine expression with RRT-PCR immediately following infection. The first set of experiments utilized chicken and duck splenocytes to measure in vitro cytokine responses at 6 hours post infection (h.p.i.) to H5N2 high and low pathogenic AI. The second set of experiments examined the cytokine expression from lung and spleen tissue at 48 h.p.i. from chickens and ducks exposed to H5N1 HPAI. The results indicate differential cytokine expression in vitro and in vivo between chickens and ducks following exposure to AI, with ducks generally displaying increased expression. The implications of these results in terms of susceptibility to disease will be discussed.