Effect of Brucella abortus transfer factor in preventing murine brucellosis

Mice vaccinated with a protein extract of attenuated Brucella abortus strain 19 had increased resistance to infection with virulent B. abortus strain 2308 and had increased antibody responses to strain 2308. However, resistance to infection and antibody responses were not increased when nonvaccinated recipient mice were given transfer factor preparations that were obtained from either vaccinated donor mice or strain 2308-infected donor mice. Vaccination of mice with the strain 19 extract plus treatment with each transfer factor preparation also did not further increase resistance to infection or antibody responses when compared with mice that received the vaccine alone. These results suggest that transfer factor from mice that have either vaccine-induced protective immunity to B. abortus or active B. abortus infections does not enhance antibody responses and resistance to infection with B. abortus.