Sensitivity of innate and adaptive cellular immune parameters of poultry to minor macro- and micronutrient differences in two nutritionally complete layer feeds

Comparable diets were found to modulate levels of specific and natural humoral immunity in different manners over two generations of genetically selected hens for a high or low Ab response. These diets were based on ingredients that were grown organically (diet A) or conventionally (diet B). Here we report the effects of these diets on cellular immune parameters such as monocyte reactivity measured by NO production, proliferation of whole blood leucocytes and PBMC with the T- and B-cell mitogens, ConA and LPS respectively. Furthermore we measured the in vitro modulatory effects of water soluble extracts of the two diets on T-cell proliferation of whole blood cultures. In both generations a feed change enhanced monocyte reactivity in all birds with the high line birds being most sensitive. Whole blood assays showed the most pronounced diet effects on T-cell reactivity. The low line birds of the first generation showed the greatest effect, but in the second generation all lines were affected by the diets. I...