Eimeria maxima: ELISA and western blot analyses of protective sera

Infection of chickens with Eimeria maxima induces the production of parasite-specific antisera which can be used passively to protect naive chickens against infection. Globulin fractions of these antisera can also be used passively to protect chickens. Similarly, intramuscular injection of soybean lectin affinity purified gametocyte antigens of E. maxima in Freund's Complete Adjuvant induces production of antibodies which are maternally transferred and thereby protect hatchlings against E. maxima. ELISA analyses of serum pools having varying protective capacities revealed good correlations between passive protection and levels of anti-unsporulated oocyst, anti-sporulated oocyst, anti-merozoite and anti-gametocyte antibodies. Western blotting demonstrated that the sera mainly recognized a number of high molecular weight antigens in all developmental stages and that the intensity of the reactions reflected the degree of protection induced by the sera. Sera from birds immunized with gametocyte antigens also recognized high molecular weight antigens from all the developmental stages, with banding patterns remarkably similar to those observed for sera from infected birds. Taken together, these results indicate that antibodies can protect against infection with E. maxima and these antibodies may recognize and act against asexual and/or sexual stages of the parasite.