Influence of supplemental selenium on humoral immune responses in weaned beef calves.

Influence of supplemental Se on humoral immune response was measured in 60 weaned beef calves with marginal blood Se status. Calves were fed a Se-deficient diet consisting of corn silage, corn grain, and soybean meal. Blood Se concentrations, primary and secondary humoral immune responses to hen egg lysozyme inoculation, and weight gain were determined in a 70-day trial. Calves fed 20 mg of Se/kg of mineral mixture ad libitum had lower antibody responses (P less than 0.02), compared with calves fed 20 mg of Se/kg of mineral mixture and given 0.1 mg of Se and 0.22 IU of vitamin E/kg of body weight, IM, or with calves fed 80, 120, 160, or 200 mg of Se/kg of mineral mixture. Calves fed 80, 120, 160, or 200 mg of Se/kg of mineral mixture had higher (P less than 0.001) blood Se concentrations on day 70, compared with calves fed 20 mg of Se/kg of mineral mixture and given 0.1 mg of Se and 0.22 IU of vitamin E/kg of body weight, IM. Selenium supplementation had no effect on weight gain.