A study of the ontogeny of specific immune responsiveness amongst circulating leucocytes in the chicken

Abstract

Twenty chickens were immunized with heat killed Salmonella gallinarum. Buffy coats removed at daily intervals during a post-immunization period of 15 days were examined quantitatively and qualitatively for the presence of cells involved in any specific immune reaction (immunocytes). These were detected by an immunocyto-adherence technique modified to permit a morphological examination of the immunocytes. On the basis of this examination the circulating immunocytes were classified into three main classes: haemocytoblasts, plasmacyte series cells and lymphocyte series cells. The significance of the results is discussed in relation to the possible functions of these cells in the immune response.