Application of a Leukocyte Migration-Inhibition Agarose Test to Swine Dysentery

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Abstract
SUMMARY: Cell-mediated immunity (cmi) was demonstrated in swine naturally affected with swine dysentery (sd) by a leukocyte migration-inhibition agarose test (lmat). Migration of leukocytes from sd-affected pigs was inhibited in the presence of soluble antigen of Treponema hyodysenteriae, whereas migration of leukocytes from noninfected swine was not inhibited by exposure to the same antigen. Cell-mediated immunity was detected initially after the appearance of clinical signs of the disease, and a peak migration index (mi) of 0.11 (P < 0.01) was detected at 2 weeks thereafter. The mi gradually decreased over the remaining 3 weeks of the experiment. Humoral antibody correlated well with cmi, since both showed maximum production within the same time interval. Leukocytes of swine naturally affected with sd 4 months previously had a significant mi response of 0.73 (P < 0.05), whereas uninfected swine of comparable age and weight showed a mi of 0.94 that was not significant (P > 0.05). The results indicated that the lmat may be useful for the diagnosis of sd.