Electrophoretic Separation of Serum Proteins and Lipoproteins of Young Turkeys Infected with Eimeria meleagrimitis or Eimeria adenoeides

Abstract

Electrophoretic separation of serum proteins of Eimeria-infected turkeys showed five major fractions with significant decreases in albumin levels and significant increases in the α2- and γ-globulins as compared with controls. The α1- and (β-globulin levels were similar to those of the controls. Significant differences between infected turkeys and uninfected pair-fed controls suggested that protein changes were not solely due to the anorexia associated with Eimeria infections. The increase in α2-globulins was not due to an increase in ceruloplasmin. Indirect fluorescent antibody tests using serum from infected poults as an antibody source were positive, indicating that at least part of the increase in the γ-globulin fraction was due to the production of immunoglobulins.Electrophoretic separation of plasma lipoproteins showed three to four major bands with a sharp decrease in the portomicrons among infected poults. There was no increase in the pre-β-lipoproteins (which have the same electrophoretic mobility as the α2-globulins), indicating that the increase in α2-globulins was not due to an increase in the lipoprotein part of this fraction.