Cross-reactive antibody in immunity to colisepticemia in calves

Cattle were immunized with a uridine diphosphate galactose epimerase deficient mutant of Escherichia coli to prepare antiserum cross-reactive with different serotypes of E. coli. Hypogammaglobulinemic calves were given bovine anti-J5 serum before oral challenge with virulent E. coli derived from a septicemic calf. Passively immunized calves had delayed and decreased bacteremia compared with calves given saline before challenge. Calves given antiserum also lived longer than control calves. A second experiment using ampicillin and antibody to treat colisepticemia also showed increased survival in anti-serum-treated calves. Decreased bacteremia was probably not due to the killing of the challenge strain by antibody and complement, as the strain was serum-resistant. However, anti-J5 serum did increase phagocytosis of the challenge strain of E. coli (JL9) by bovine neutrophils. Thus, partial protection by antiserum was probably due to increased clearance of bacteria as well as neutralization of endotoxin.