Table 2.
Effect of vitamin D on chicken immune system.
| Effect on the immune system and microbial pathogens | Dose | Host | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Increased anti-NDV antibodies and total and nonspecific intestinal IgA levels, increased peripheral blood CD3+CD8+ T cells | 5,000 IU/kg combined with 69 μg/kg of 25(OH)D3 | Broiler chickens | Vazquez et al., (2018) |
| Higher antibody titers to NDV vaccine antigens | 2,000 IU/kg | Broiler chickens | Gómez-Verduzco et al., (2013) |
| Enhanced DTH reactions to phytohemagglutinin | 69 mg/kg of 25(OH)D3 | Broiler chickens | Gómez-Verduzco et al., (2013) |
| Reduced cellular responses to antigens in chickens challenged with SRBC. Reduced thymic weight and quantities of abdominal macrophages | Not supplemented with vitamin D3 | Broiler chickens | Aslam et al., (1998) |
| Higher levels of Salmonella-specific IgG | 69 μg/kg of 25(OH)D3 | Broiler chickens | Chou et al., (2009) |
| Upregulation of IL-10 gene expression | 100 μg/kg of 25(OH)D3 | Broiler chickens | Morris et al., (2015) |
| Upregulation in expression of TLR2 and TLR4 in addition to Th2 genes. | 69 and 275 μg/kg of 25(OH)D3 | Broiler chickens | Rodriguez-Lecompte et al., (2016) |
Abbreviations: DTH, delayed-type hypersensitivity; IL-10, interleukin-10; SRBC, sheep red blood cells; TLR, Toll-like receptor; Th2, T helper 2.