Possibilities of overcoming the inhibitory effect of colostrum-derived antibodies using intradermal immunization and immunization via mucosae

The colostrum-derived antibodies protect piglets in early life. Levels of these antibodies gradually decrease in sera of growing piglets and according to the prevailing opinion they decline so much at a certain time point that they cannot protect the organism against infection and even block the onset of active immunity.

This period has been generally designated as the “immunity window” (1). On the other hand, our previous studies and studies of other authors (1-3) indicated that colostrum-derived antibodies do not completely prevent the immune response after immunization and that this period could be overcome or shortened by properly timed vaccination, local administration of antigens and/or by the use of proper type of adjuvant.

The aims of this study were to verify the possibility of overcoming the inhibitory effect of colostrum-derived antibodies in piglets using immunization via the skin or mucosae and to test the effect of higher proportions of adjuvant and/or higher concentrations of model antigen on quality and quantity of induced local and systemic immune responses.

Katerina Nechvatalova; Martin Faldyna; Eduard Gopfert; Pavlina Knotigova; Hana Kudlackova; Lenka Leva

Veterinary Research Institute Brno, Brno, Czech Republic

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