Immunocytochemical techniques to investigate the pathogenesis of infectious micro-organisms and the concurrent immune response of the host

For poultry as well as for mammalian species used for scientific research, many immunocytochemical techniques have been developed to investigate in detail the interaction between infectious micro-organisms and the nonspecific and specific immune systems of the host. In this review three techniques have been described with all technical details necessary to perform them correctly: (1) single immunocytochemical staining to detect the infectious micro-organisms in situ at their site of infection, (2) double immunocytochemical staining to visualize simultaneously the infectious micro- organism and the host cellular response to investigate their interactions, and (3) detection of plasma cells producing antibodies specific to the micro- organism. Of the three techniques the results are described when applied on chicken tissues infected with various micro-organisms, such as Marek's disease virus, chicken anemia virus, infectious bursal disease virus and Eimeria tenella. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd.