Leucocyte migration inhibition as a indicator of cell mediated immunity in chickens

The influence of purified protein derivative of tuberculin upon the in vitro migration of peripheral leucocytes of birds sensitized with either (a) heat killed Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Freund's adjuvant or (b) viable Mycobacterium avium was investigated. Migration inhibition was demonstrated in both types of birds and compared with uninoculated controls. A detailed description of the method adopted and a list of features found necessary for the production of consistent reproducible results is given. The results correlated well with intradermal skin tests and indicated that the leucocyte migration inhibition test is a practical and reproducible method of studying the role of cellular immunity in chickens. The possible application of the test to other diseases of poultry is discussed.