The inability of surgical bursectomy in the newly hatched period to affect antibody formation in the pigeon (Columba livia).
Surgical bursectomy was performed in newly hatched pigeons within 24 hours of hatching. The effect of bursectomy on the immune responsiveness was evaluated by studying antibody formation to sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and Brucella abortus organisms and by the presence of serum immunoglobulins after immunoelectrophoresis. Surgically bursectomized pigeons responded as well to SRBC and Brucella as did the non-bursectomized controls. There was no statistically significant difference in the geometric mean antibody titers between the bursectomized and non-bursectomized groups of pigeons. Treatment of the serum with 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) indicated that the major amount of antibody produced was resistant to 2-ME and there was no significant difference in the amount of 2-ME-resistant antibody produced in the bursectomized and the control pigeons. Immunoelectrophoretic analysis of the sera from the bursectomized pigeons showed both IgG and IgM present in similar quantities to that of the non-bursectomized controls. Histological sections of the spleens showed germinal centers in both groups of pigeons. Sections of the bursal area from the bursectomized birds indicated that none of the pigeons in the bursectomized group had any remaining identifiable bursal tissue, follicular structures or other organized lymphoid tissue.