Efecto de la infección de Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis en la producción de anticuerpos bovinos

paratuberculosis, caused by mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis, is a chronic granulomatous enteric disease affecting ruminants. our aim was to characterize systemic and local humoral responses of infected cows. eleven cows were studied: six naturally infected (asymptomatic, symptomatic and terminal) and five control. total igm and igg and paratuberculosis-specific igg subisotypes, from feces and serum, were assessed by elisa. no differences were detected on the levels of total immunoglobulins in sera. symptomatic cows showed significative higher level of totals igm and igg, and specific-igg in feces. igg1 was the highest from sera of symptomatic and terminal. igg3 was the highest specific immunoglobulin in sera and feces of asymptomatic. our results showed total immunoglobulins levels in serum are not modified by the infection. the increment of immunoglobulins in feces could be caused by the lesions of intestinal mucosa. the predominance of igg1 in symptomatic period is related to the change toward th2 profile. the use of anti-igg3 could improve the identification of asymptomatic cows.