Use of peripheral blood leukocytes in the study of cell-mediated immunity in bovine anaplasmosis—A review

Abstract Peripheral blood leukocytes separated by erythrocyte aggregation and density-gradient centrifugation were used in tests to measure the cell-mediated response in bovine anaplasmosis. The leukocyte migration inhibition test was apparently related to the host protective immune response. Leukocyte stimulation by a specific anaplasma antigen elicits positive but low level stimulation indices in cultures of cells collected from cattle exposed to live anaplasma. There appears to be a nonspecific enhancement of blastogenesis in cultures of leukocytes from cattle injected with inactivated-oil fortified Anaplasma marginale vaccine. Cytotoxicity tests indicated that both leukocytes and antibodies are active in clearance of anaplasma infected erythrocytes from the circulatory system.