Newcastle disease antibody titre is dependent on serum calcium concentration

Chickens were fed diets having optimal, high, and low levels of calcium for 42 days. Serum samples were collected at 14, 28 and 42 days of age, and serum calcium and haemagglutination inhibition titres for Newcastle disease virus were measured. The chickens were vaccinated at 14 days for Newcastle disease. Antibody titres were significantly increased by high dietary calcium and depressed by low dietary calcium. Mean titre was 2.5 (log2) for the optimal diet, 3.2 for the high-calcium diet, and 1.6 for the low-calcium diet. Antibody titres were dependent on serum calcium concentration (r2 = 0.98 at 14 days, 0.99 at 28 days, and 0.78 at 42 days).