Effect of aflatoxin on the humoral and cell-mediated immune systems of the chicken
Giambrone, J.J.; Ewert, D.L.; Wyatt, R.D.; Eidson, C.S.
American Journal of Veterinary Research 39(2): 305-308
1978
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-9645 PMID: 24399 Document Number: 134993
Chickens fed 2.5 microgram of aflatoxin/g of diet from 2 to 4 weeks of age or from hatching to 4 weeks were deficient in cell-mediated immunity, as measured at 4 weeks of age by the graft-versus-host reaction. Delayed-type hypersensitive skin reactions to tuberculin were also reduced in chickens given dietary aflatoxin from hatching to 7 weeks of age. Humoral immunity, as measured by the ability of 4-week-old chicks to produce natural agglutinins to rabbit red blood cells, was not significantly altered by dietary aflatoxin. A significant decrease in concentrations of serum immunoglobulins (Ig) IgG and IgA, but no IgM, however, did occur in chicks given dietary aflatoxin from hatching to 4 weeks or between 2 and 4 weeks of age. Aflatoxin consumption from 0 to 2 weeks of age produced no marked effect on either cell-mediated or humoral immunity in 4-week-old chicks.