The influence of vaccine preparations on the induction of antigen specific responsiveness in rainbow troutOncorhynchus mykiss

In vitroantigen specific responsiveness of trout leucocytes was monitored over time, following immunisation with threeAeromonas salmonicidavaccine preparations; strain MT004 in saline (MT004/PBS), strain MT004 grown under iron restricted conditions using AlOH as adjuvant (MT004/AlOH), and the commercially available vaccine Furogen. Saline injected fish served as controls. While antigen specific responses inA. salmonicidainjected groups were higher than controls, antigen specific proliferation, MAF production and antibody production were all highest in leucocytes elicited from Furogen injected fish. MT004/PBS immunised fish were ranked second and MT004/AlOH fish ranked third, with only their antibody response being significantly above control values. Thus, the influence of vaccine treatment was seen to have a similar effect on each antigen specific parameter assessed. Antibody production against MT004 from individual fish was seen to correlate with both their relative proliferation and MAF secretion to this antigen, which also correlated with one another. The potential of such antigen specificin vitrocorrelates of immunity to aid vaccine design are discussed.