Age-dependent phagocytosis and bactericidal activities of the chicken heterophil

Chicks are most susceptible to Salmonella infection during the first 4 days post-hatch. In poultry, one of the primary cells in the innate immune response to early bacterial invasion by Salmonella is the heterophil. Previous studies using a granulocytopenic chicken model in more mature birds demonstrated the significant role heterophils have in the defense mechanism against Salmonella. In the past studies have also shown the efficiency of heterophils from 3- to 5-week-old chickens to phagocytose and kill Salmonella as compared to monocytes. During the present study, we investigated the phagocytic and bactericidal activities of heterophils from chickens during the first 7 days post-hatch to evaluate whether decreased heterophil function plays a role in the susceptibility of young chicks to Salmonella infections. Peripheral blood counts demonstrated no differences in the percentages of heterophils during the first week post-hatch. The phagocytic index of the heterophil did not change on day 1 or day 4, but doubled by day 7 (day 1, 30.69; day 4, 33.99; day 7, 60.46). Interestingly, the bactericidal activity of the heterophils from all three age groups efficiently killed Salmonella enteritidis. Based on this data, we conclude that a relationship exists between the age of the chick, the functional activity of the heterophil, and the susceptibility to organ invasion by Salmonella.