Effects of inoculation route and dose on production and avidity of IgY antibodies

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of route of inoculation and dose on production and avidity of IgY antibodies in chickens. The animals were inoculated with 20 µg of human IgG by intramuscular, intradermal, or subcutaneous routes, or with 2, 20, or 200 µg of human IgG via IM to evaluate the effect of dose. All routes led to significant levels of specific antibodies after the fifth inoculation. There was a significant difference in the levels of antibodies produced with 2 and 200 µg of antigen after the third and seventh inoculation. It was observed that there is no influence of route of inoculation or dose on the avidity of the antibodies produced. Furthermore, the index of avidity is influenced directly by the number of inoculations. These results are important to help future studies where antibody production of IgY from laying hens is necessary.