An assay in microtitre plates for absolute abundance of chicken interferon alpha transcripts

Immunosuppression of commercial chickens is a serious animal health and economic problem. The major causes of the immunosuppression are viruses that suppress transcription of interferon genes, especially interferon alpha. There is a need for monitoring immunosuppression in commercially bred chickens. For this purpose, the absolute abundance of interferon alpha transcripts can be measured in blood of chickens by a suitable assay. Such an assay was used to estimate abundance of chicken interferon alpha in a sample of splenic cells induced with polyinosinic polycytidylic acid. The abundance measured was 29+/-2 attomoles/microg total RNA. This assay can be performed in microtitre plates using samples collected from chickens in poultry houses.