THE INFLUENCE OF VACCINE PREPARATIONS ON THE INDUCTION OF ANTIGEN-SPECIFIC RESPONSIVENESS IN RAINBOW-TROUT ONCORHYNCHUS-MYKISS

In vitro antigen specific responsiveness of trout leucocytes was monit ored over time, following immunisation with three Aeromonas salmonicid a vaccine preparations; strain MT004 in saline (MT004/PBS), strain MT0 04 grown under iron restricted conditions using AlOH as adjuvant (MT00 4/AlOH), and the commercially available vaccine Furogen. Saline inject ed fish served as controls. While antigen specific responses in A. sal monicida injected groups were higher than controls, antigen specific p roliferation, MAF production and antibody production were all highest in leucocytes elicited from Furogen injected fish. MT004/PBS immunised fish were ranked second and MT004/AlOH fish ranked third, with only t heir antibody response being significantly above control values. Thus, the influence of vaccine treatment was seen to have a similar effect on each antigen specific parameter assessed. Antibody production again st MT004 from individual fish was seen to correlate with both their re lative proliferation and MAF secretion to this antigen, which also cor related with one another. The potential of such antigen specific in vi tro correlates of immunity to aid vaccine design are discussed. (C) 19 97 Academic Press Limited.