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Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, September 2006, p. 1030-1036, Vol. 13, No. 9
1071-412X/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/CVI.00134-06
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Cattle Husbandry in Ethiopia Is a Predominant Factor Affecting the Pathology of Bovine Tuberculosis and Gamma Interferon Responses to Mycobacterial Antigens

Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,¹ Armauer Hansen Research Institute, P.O. Box 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,² Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Imperial College, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom,³ TB Research Group, Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Weybridge, New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, United Kingdom⁴

Received 6 April 2006/ Returned for modification 11 May 2006/ Accepted 4 July 2006

Bovine tuberculosis is a major economic problem and a potential public health risk. Improved diagnostics like the gamma interferon (IFN-) test with ESAT6 and/or CFP10 could contribute to the control program. We assessed IFN- responses in zebu (Ethiopian Arsi breed) and Holstein cattle kept indoors or in a pasture to tuberculin purified protein derivative (PPD) and an ESAT6-CFP10 protein cocktail. Furthermore, the intensity and distribution of pathology of bovine tuberculosis were compared between the two breeds. Our data demonstrated significantly (all P < 0.02) higher IFN- responses to avian PPD, bovine PPD, and the ESAT6-CFP10 protein cocktail in Holstein than in zebu cattle, while lesion severities in infected animals and tuberculin skin test responses did not differ significantly (P > 0.05) between the two breeds. Holstein cattle that were kept indoors produced significantly (all P < 0.01) higher IFN- levels in response to avian PPD, bovine PPD, and the ESAT6-CFP10 protein cocktail than did Holstein cattle kept in a pasture. Moreover, lesion severity was significantly higher in Holstein cattle kept indoors (P = 0.001) than in those kept in the pasture. Lesions were localized predominantly in the digestive tract in cattle kept in a pasture, while they were localized in the respiratory tract in cattle kept indoors. In conclusion, in Holstein cattle, husbandry was a dominant factor influencing the severity of tuberculosis lesions and IFN- responses to mycobacterial antigens compared to breed. A difference in the cellular immune response between zebu and Holstein cattle was observed, while tuberculosis lesion severities were identical in the two breeds, when both were kept in a pasture.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Ameni, G., Hewinson, G., Aseffa, A., Young, D., Vordermeier, M. (2008). Appraisal of Interpretation Criteria for the Comparative Intradermal Tuberculin Test for Diagnosis of Tuberculosis in Cattle in Central Ethiopia. CVI 15: 1272-1276 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Ameni, G., Aseffa, A., Engers, H., Young, D., Gordon, S., Hewinson, G., Vordermeier, M. (2007). High Prevalence and Increased Severity of Pathology of Bovine Tuberculosis in Holsteins Compared to Zebu Breeds under Field Cattle Husbandry in Central Ethiopia. CVI 14: 1356-1361 [Abstract] [Full Text]