Gm. Pighetti et Lm. Sordillo, ENHANCED ANTIGEN-SPECIFIC RESPONSES IN BOVINE MAMMARY-GLANDS FOLLOWING ADMINISTRATION OF INTERLEUKIN-2, Journal of dairy science, 78(3), 1995, pp. 528-537
This study examined the feasibility of using interleukin-2 as a vaccin
e adjuvant to enhance specific immunity in the bovine mammary gland. I
n trial 1, cows were immunized by intramammary infusion of keyhole lim
per hemocyanin with either saline (n = 3) or interleukin-2 (n = 3) as
adjuvants. In trial 2, cows were immunized by intramuscular injection
near the supramammary lymph node with keyhole limpet hemocyanin in con
junction with saline (n = 4), Freund's incomplete adjuvant (n = 4), or
interleukin-2 (n = 4). Local immunization with interleukin-2 as an ad
juvant significantly increased antibody titers in milk over preimmuniz
ation levels and levels in saline-treated cows. The use of Freund's in
complete adjuvant and interleukin-2 as adjuvants in cows that were imm
unized systemically enhanced both sera and lacteal antibodies to keyho
le limper hemocyanin. However, cows that were administered interleukin
-2 responded more quickly than those given Freund's incomplete adjuvan
t. Only those cows that received interleukin-2 as an adjuvant demonstr
ated significant increases in blood lymphocyte proliferation to keyhol
e limper hemocyanin, pokeweed mitogen, and interleukin-2. The results
of these two trials suggest that immunization with interleukin-2 as an
adjuvant may be more effective than Freund's incomplete adjuvant in e
nhancing specific immunity in the bovine mammary gland and may possibl
y be an effective adjuvant in mastitis immunization protocols.