B cell activation in chickens induced by Staphylococcus aureus.

Conventional mammalian polyclonal B cell activators were evaluated for activity in chicken spleen and peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) cultures. Although lipopolysaccharide was found to have a marginal influence on proliferation, two strains of the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus (Cowan I and Wood 46 strains) induced moderate proliferation in both spleen and PBL cultures. In spleen cell cultures the proliferating cell population was identified as the B cell. The mitogenic response required the presence of adherent cells since their removal eliminated the response. Evidence of in vitro polyclonal immunoglobulin synthesis could not be obtained. However, when administered intravenously, S. aureus induced polyclonal immunoglobulin synthesis.