Lymphocyte stimulation in swine dysentery

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Immunology
• Swine Disease Diagnostics
• Microbial Pathogenesis

Background:

• Swine dysentery (SD) is a significant enteric disease in pigs, causing considerable economic losses.
• Accurate and timely diagnosis of SD is crucial for effective herd management and disease control.
• Current diagnostic methods may have limitations in sensitivity or speed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of lymphocyte stimulation assays for diagnosing swine dysentery.
• To compare lymphocyte stimulation with delayed hypersensitivity skin tests in pigs with SD.
• To identify a rapid and reliable diagnostic method for SD.

Main Methods:

• Lymphocyte stimulation assays were performed on pigs affected with swine dysentery using soluble Treponema hyodysenteriae antigen.
• Delayed hypersensitivity (DH) skin tests were conducted using the same antigen preparation.
• Immune responses were assessed by measuring protein synthesis in lymphocytes and skin reactions.

Main Results:

• All pigs with SD showed a significant lymphocyte stimulation response (P < 0.05) to T. hyodysenteriae soluble antigen.
• Infected pigs (virulent or attenuated T. hyodysenteriae) exhibited significant lymphocytic responses at 3 and 6 weeks post-infection.
• The DH skin test identified only 3 out of 14 SD-affected swine, indicating lower sensitivity compared to lymphocyte stimulation.

Conclusions:

• Lymphocyte stimulation assays demonstrate a strong diagnostic potential for swine dysentery.
• This assay offers a more sensitive and reliable method for detecting T. hyodysenteriae infection compared to DH skin tests.
• The lymphocyte stimulation assay, by detecting protein synthesis, may provide a rapid diagnostic tool for SD in affected swine herds.