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Infection and Immunity, December 2004, p. 6939-6944, Vol. 72, No. 12
0019-9567/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/IAI.72.12.6939-6944.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Protective Immunity against Eimeria acervulina following In Ovo Immunization with a Recombinant Subunit Vaccine and Cytokine Genes

Xicheng Ding,¹ Hyun S. Lillehoj,^1* Marco A. Quiroz,^2, Erich Bevensee,² and Erik P. Lillehoj³

Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Animal and Natural Resources Institute, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville,¹ AviTech LLC, Hebron,² Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, Maryland³

Received 8 July 2004/ Returned for modification 3 August 2004/ Accepted 26 August 2004

A purified recombinant protein from Eimeria acervulina (3-1E) was used to vaccinate chickens in ovo against coccidiosis both alone and in combination with expression plasmids encoding the interleukin 1 (IL-1), IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-15, IL-16, IL-17, IL-18, or gamma interferon (IFN-) gene. When used alone, vaccination with 100 or 500 µg of 3-1E resulted in significantly decreased oocyst shedding compared with that in nonvaccinated chickens. Simultaneous vaccination of the 3-1E protein with the IL-1, -15, -16, or -17 gene induced higher serum antibody responses than 3-1E alone. To evaluate protective intestinal immunity, vaccinated birds were challenged with live E. acervulina oocysts 14 days posthatch, and fecal-oocyst shedding and body weight gain were determined as parameters of coccidiosis. Chickens vaccinated with 3-1E protein showed significantly lower oocyst shedding and normal body weight gain than nonvaccinated and infected controls. Simultaneous immunization with 3-1E and the IL-2, -15, -17, or -18 or IFN- gene further reduced oocyst shedding compared with that achieved with 3-1E alone. These results provide the first evidence that in ovo vaccination with the recombinant 3-1E Eimeria protein induces protective intestinal immunity against coccidiosis, and this effect was enhanced by coadministration of genes encoding immunity-related cytokines.

Editor: W. A. Petri, Jr.

Present address: Novus International Inc., St. Charles, MO 63304.