HUMORAL IMMUNE-RESPONSE OF DOGS VACCINATED WITH LEPTOSPIRAL PENTAVALENT OUTER ENVELOPE AND WHOLE CULTURE VACCINES

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 39  (5) , 831-836
Abstract
The humoral immune response of dogs vaccinated with leptospiral pentavalent outer envelope and whole culture vaccines was monitored with the microscopic agglutination (MA) test and leptospiricidal activity (LA) test for a 2 yr period. The leptospiral serovars in the vaccines were Leptospira canicolia, L. icterohaemorrhagiae, L. grippotyphosa, L. pomona and L. hardjo. The LA test was markedly more sensitive than the MA test for detecting anti-Leptospira antibodies and was least noticeable with anti-L. pomona antibodies. Ig[immunoglobulin]M and IgG were produced in similar amounts in the vaccinated dogs, and both classes of Ig were reactive in the MA and LA tests. The IgM class of antibodies was slightly more reactive in the MA test, whereas IgG antibodies were somewhat more reactive in the LA test. A direct correlation between protective antibodies, as determined by the hamster passive-protection test, and antibodies reactive in the MA and LA tests was observed.