Hostname: page-component-74656f9884-rdgjk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-11-09T00:19:42.720Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Malabsorption syndrome in broilers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2007

J.M.J. Rebel ,
F.R.M. Balk ,
J. Post ,
S. Van Hemert ,
B. Zekarias  and
N. Stockhofe
J.M.J. Rebel*
Affiliation:
Animal Sciences Group, Division Animal Resources Development, P.O. Box 65, 8200AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
F.R.M. Balk
Affiliation:
Animal Sciences Group, Division Animal Resources Development, P.O. Box 65, 8200AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
J. Post
Affiliation:
Animal Sciences Group, Division Animal Resources Development, P.O. Box 65, 8200AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
S. Van Hemert
Affiliation:
Animal Sciences Group, Division Animal Resources Development, P.O. Box 65, 8200AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
B. Zekarias
Affiliation:
Animal Sciences Group, Division Animal Resources Development, P.O. Box 65, 8200AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
N. Stockhofe
Affiliation:
Animal Sciences Group, Division Animal Resources Development, P.O. Box 65, 8200AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
*
*Corresponding author: annemarie.rebel@wur.nl
Get access

Abstract

Malabsorption syndrome (MAS) is a multifactorial disease that causes intestinal disorders in broilers due to infection of the gastrointestinal tract with different infectious agents. The exact aetiology is unknown, although several viruses are isolated from MAS affected chickens. None of these isolated infectious agents alone inducted the malabsorption syndrome. MAS in broilers is characterised by poor growth and lesions in the GI-tract, mainly in the small intestine. Experimentally, MAS can be induced in one-day old broilers by oral inoculation of homogenates obtained from digestive tract tissues of MAS affected broilers. Susceptibility to the MAS syndrome differs between broiler lines. The susceptibility to MAS is correlated with the severity of the lesions, apoptosis and heterophil infiltration of the jejunum. Susceptibility to MAS is also related to the frequency of CD4 and CD8 positive T-cells in the intestinal villus and the mRNA expression level of different cytokines in control and in MAS induced broilers. With the use of micro-arrays differences in gene expression levels between broiler lines that differ in MAS susceptibility were observed. From these experiments genes that are immune and food absorption related were identified. If some of these genes or the T-cell population in the gut and the other MAS susceptible related parameters could predict or prevent MAS susceptibility in broilers needs to be further investigated but can be interestingly for breeding programmes.

Keywords

malabsorptionsusceptibilitypathogenesisimmune responsegene expression

Information

Type
Reviews
Information
World's Poultry Science Journal , Volume 62 , Issue 1 , March 2006 , pp. 17 - 30
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2006

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Bar Shira, E., Sklan, D. and Friedman, A. (2003) Establishment of immune competence in the avian GALT during the immediate post-hatch period. Developmental and Comparative Immunology 27: 147–157.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bayyari, G.R., Huff, W.E., Rath, N.C., Balog, J.M., Newberry, L.A., Villines, J.D., Skeeles, J.K., Anthony, N.B. and Nestor, K.E. (1997) Effect of the genetic selection of turkeys for increased body weight and egg production on immune and physiological responses. Poultry Science 76: 289–296.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Boshuizen, J.A., Reimerink, J.H., Korteland-Van Male, A.M., Van Ham, V.J., Koopmans, M.P., Buller, H.A., Dekker, J. and Einerhand, A.W. (2003) Changes in small intestinal homeostasis, morphology, and gene expression during rotavirus infection of infant mice. Journal Virology 77: 13005–13016.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bracewell, C.D. and Randall, C.J. (1984) The infectious stunting syndrome [Chickens]. Worlds Poultry Science Journal 40: 31–37.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Caldwell, D.J., Danforth, H.D., Morris, B.C., Ameiss, K.A. and McElroy, A.P. (2004) Participation of the intestinal epithelium and mast cells in local mucosal immune responses in commercial poultry. Poultry Science 83: 591–599.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Choi, K.D., Lillehoj, H.S. and Zalenga, D.S. (1999) Changes in local IFN-gamma and TGF-beta4 mRNA expression and intraepithelial lymphocytes following Eimeria acervulina infection. Veterinary Immunology Immunopathology 71: 263–275.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Coskun, B., Inal, F., Celik, I., Erganis, O., Tiftik, A.M., Kurtoglu, F., Kuyucuoglu, Y. and Ok, U. (1998) Effects of dietary levels of vitamin Aon the egg yield and immune responses of laying hens. Poultry Science 77: 542–546.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davis, C.Y. and Sell, J.L. (1983) Effect of all-trans retinol and retinoic acid nutriture on the immune system of chicks. Journal of Nutrition 113: 1914–1919.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eidson, C.S., Kleven, S.H. and Fletcher, O.J. (1985) Performance of broiler progeny of breeder flocks vaccinated with inactivated oil emulsion malabsorption syndrome virus vaccine. Poultry Science 64: 2081–2086.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Erf, G.F., Bottje, W.G., Bersi, T.K., Headrick, M.D. and Fritts, C.A. (1998) Effects of dietary vitamin E on the immune system in broilers: altered proportions of CD4 T cells in the thymus and spleen. Poultry Science 77: 529–537.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Frazier, J.A. and Reece, R.L. (1990) Infectious stunting syndrome of chickens in Great Britain: intestinal ultrastructural pathology. Avian Pathology 19: 759–777.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gavin, A. and McDevitt, R.M. (1999) Intraspecific variation in muscle and organ growth in three strains of chicken with differential genetic selection for fast growth rate. British Poultry Science 40: S19–20.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goodwin, M.A., Davis, J.F. and Player, E.C. (1993) Reovirus-associated enteritis in Georgia broiler chicks. Avian Diseases 37: 229–233.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Guy-Grand, D., Disanto, J.P., Henchoz, P., Malassis-Seris, M. and Vassalli, P. (1998) Small bowel enteropathy: role of intraepithelial lymphocytes and of cytokines (IL-12, IFN-gamma, TNF) in the induction of epithelial cell death and renewal. European Journal of Immunology 28: 730–744.3.0.CO;2-U>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Harmon, B.G. (1998) Avian heterophils in inflammation and disease resistance. Poultry Science 77: 972–977.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Iwamoto, M., Koji, T., Makiyama, K., Kobayashi, N. and Nakane, P.K. (1996) Apoptosis of crypt epithelial cells in ulcerative colitis. Journal of Pathology 180: 152–159.3.0.CO;2-Y>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jung, H.C., Eckmann, L., Yang, S.K., Panja, A., Fierer, J., Morzycka-Wroblewska, E. and Kagnoff, M.F. (1995) A distinct array of proinflammatory cytokines is expressed in human colon epithelial cells in response to bacterial invasion. Journal of Clinical Investigation 95: 55–65.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kaiser, P., Underwood, G. and Davison, F. (2003) Differential cytokine responses following Marek's disease virus infection of chickens differing in resistance to Marek's disease. Journal of Virology 77: 762–768.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kant, A., Balk, F., Born, L., Van Roozelaar, D., Heijmans, J., Gielkens, A. and Ter Huurne, A. (2003) Classification of Dutch and German avian reoviruses by sequencing the sigma C protein. Veterinary Research 34: 203–212.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kogut, M.H., Tellez, G.I., McGruder, E.D., Hargis, B.M., Williams, J.D., Corrier, D.E. and Deloach, J.R. (1994) Heterophils are decisive components in the early responses of chickens to Salmonella enteritidis infections. Microbial Pathogenesis 16: 141–151.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kouwenhoven, B., Davelaar, F.G. and Walsum, J.V. (1978a) Infectious proventriculitis causing runting in broilers. Avian Pathology 7: 183–187.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kouwenhoven, B., Vertommen, M.H. and Eck, J.H.H. (1978b) Runting and leg weakness in broilers: involvement of infectious factors. Veterinary Science communication 2: 252–259.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kouwenhoven, B., Vertommen, M.H. and Goren, E. (1986a) Runting in broilers. In: Acute virus infections of poultry, McNulty, M.S. and McFerran, J.B., eds., Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Dordrecht. 165–178.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kouwenhoven, B., Vertommen, M.H. and Goren, E. (1986b) Runting in broilers, the disease with many names and faces. Inter Union Immunology Society Proceedings 66: 73–96.Google Scholar
Kouwenhoven, B., Vertommen, M. and Goren, E. (1988) Investigations into the role of reovirus in the malabsorption syndrome. Avian Pathology 17: 879–892.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kouwenhoven, B., Dwars, R.M. and Smeets, J.F.M. (1992) Wet litter and high feed conversions, a new problem in broilers. In: new and evolving virus diseases of poultry. McNulty, M.S. and McFerran, J.B., eds Brussels Belgium243–251.Google Scholar
Li, Z., Nestor, K.E., Saif, Y.M. and Luhtala, M. (2000) Flow cytometric analysis of T lymphocyte subpopulations in large-bodied turkey lines and a randombred control population. Poultry Science 79: 219–223.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lilja, C. and Marks, H.L. (1991) Changes in organ growth pattern associated with long-term selection for high growth rate in quail. Growth Development and Aging 55: 219–224.Google ScholarPubMed
Lilja, C. and Olsson, U. (1987) Changes in embryonic development associated with long-term selection for high growth rate in Japanese quail. Growth 51: 301–308.Google ScholarPubMed
Liu, H.C., Cheng, H.H., Tirunagaru, V., Sofer, L. and Burnside, J. (2001) Astrategy to identify positional candidate genes conferring Marek's disease resistance by integrating DNA microarrays and genetic mapping. Animal Genetics 32: 351–359.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Madara, J.L., Nash, S. and Parkos, C. (1991) Neutrophil-epithelial cell interactions in the intestine. Advanced Experimental Medical Biology 314: 329–334.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mayhew, T.M., Myklebust, R., Whybrow, A. and Jenkins, R. (1999) Epithelial integrity, cell death and cell loss in mammalian small intestine. Histology Histopathology 14: 257–267.Google ScholarPubMed
Mazurkiewicz, M., Madej, J.A., Sobiech, K.A. and Giebel, O. (1993) Further studies on the etiopathology of malabsorption syndrome in broiler chickens. Archives Veterinary Pol 33: 177–188.Google ScholarPubMed
McNulty, M.S., Allan, G.M., Connor, T.J., McFerran, J.B. and McCracken, R.M. (1984) An entero-like virus associated with the runting syndrome in broiler chickens. Avian Pathology 13: 429–439.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McNulty, M.S. and McFerran, J.B. (1993) The runting stunting syndrome general assessment. In: Virus infections of birds. McFerran, J.B. and McNulty, M.S., eds. Elsevier, Amsterdam519–28.Google Scholar
Meltzer, P.S. (2001) Spotting the target: microarrays for disease gene discovery. Current opinion in genetics and development 11: 258–263.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Min, W., Lillehoj, H.S., Kim, S., Zhu, J.J., Beard, H., Alkharouf, N. and Matthews, B.F. (2003) Profiling local gene expression changes associated with Eimeria maxima and Eimeria acervulina using cDNAmicroarray. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 62: 392–399.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Montgomery, R.D., Boyle, C.R., Maslin, W.R. and Magee, D.L. (1997) Attempts to reproduce a runting/stunting-type syndrome using infectious agents isolated from affected Mississippi broilers. Avian Diseases 41: 80–92.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Olsen, D.E. (1977) Isolation of a reovirus-like agent from broiler chicks with diarrhoea and stunting. Proceedings of the 26th Western Poultry Disease ConferenceDavis California, 131–139.Google Scholar
Pritchard, D.M. and Watson, A.J. (1996) Apoptosis and gastrointestinal pharmacology. Pharmacology and Therapeutics 72: 149–169.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rebel, J.M., Van Dam, J.T., Zekarias, B., Balk, F.R., Post, J., Flores Minambres, A. and Ter Huurne, A.A. (2004) Vitamin and trace mineral content in feed of breeders and their progeny: effects of growth, feed conversion and severity of malabsorption syndrome of broilers. British Poultry Science 45: 201–209.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rebel, J.M.J., Balk, F.R.M. and Boersma, W.J.A. (2005) Cytokine responses in broilers that differ in susceptibility to malabsorption syndrome. British Poultry Science (in press).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reece, R.L., Hooper, P.T., Tate, S.H., Beddome, V.D., Forsyth, W.M., Scott, P.C. and Barr, D.A. (1984) Field, clinical and pathological observations of a runting and stunting syndrome in broilers. Veterinary Records 115: 483–85.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reece, R.L. and Frazier, J.A. (1990) Infectious stunting syndrome of chickens in Great Britain: field and experimental studies. Avian Pathology 19: 723–758.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rekik, R.M., Silim, A. and Bernier, G. (1987) Experimental infection of broiler chickens using different serotypes of reovirus from malabsorption syndrome cases Proceedings of the 36th Western Poultry Disease ConferenceDavis California, 146–148.Google Scholar
Robb, J., Kirkpatrick, K.S. and Norval, M. (1982) Association of toxin-producing fungi with disease in broilers Chickens, Fusarium sp., mycotoxins. Veterinary Records 23: 389–390.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robertson, E.I., Angstrom, C.I., Clark, H.C. and Smith, M. (1949) Field research on stunted chick disease. Poultry Science 28: 14–18 1949CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rosenberger, C.M., Pollard, A.J. and Finlay, B.B. (2001) Gene array technology to determine host responses to Salmonella. Microbes and Infection 3: 1353–1360.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shapiro, F., Nir, I. and Heller, D. (1998) Stunting syndrome in broilers: effect of stunting syndrome inoculum obtained from stunting syndrome affected broilers, on broilers, leghorns and turkey poults. Poultry Science 77: 230–236CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shirai, J., Nakamura, K., Furata, K., Hihara, H. and Kawamura, H. (1990) Experimental infection in specific-pathogen-free chicks with avian reovirus and avian nephritis virus isolated from broiler chicks showing runting syndrome. Avian Disease 34: 295–303.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shirin, H. and Moss, S.F. (1998) Helicobacter pylori induced apoptosis. Gut 43: 592–594.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sinclair, A.J., Embury, D.H., Smart, I.J., Barr, D.A., Reece, R.L., Hooper, P.T. and Gould, J.A. (1984) Pancreatic degeneration in broilers with runting and stunting syndrome. Veterinary Records 10: 485–488.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smart, I.J., Barr, D.A., Reece, R.L., Forsyth, W.M. and Ewing, I. (1988) Experimental reproduction of the runting-stunting syndrome of broiler chickens. Avian Pathology 17: 617–627.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Songserm, T., Pol, J.M.A., Van Roozelaar, D., Kok, G.L., Wagenaar, F. and Ter Huurne, A. (2000) Acomparative study of the pathogenesis of malabsorption syndrome in broilers. Avian Diseases 44: 556–567.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Songserm, T., Engel, B., Van Roozelaar, D.J., Kok, G.L., Pijpers, A., Pol, J.M.A. and Ter Huurne, A. (2002a) Cellular immune response in the small intestine of two broiler chicken lines orally inoculated with malabsorption syndrome homogenates. Veterinary immunology and immunopathology 85: 51–62.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Songserm, T., Zekarias, B., Van Roozelaar, D.J., Kok, R.S., Pol, J.M.A., Pijpers, A. and Ter Huurne, A. (2002b) Experimental reproduction of malabsorption syndrome with different combinations of reovirus, Escherichia coli, and treated homogenates obtained from broilers. Avian Diseases 46: 87–94.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Songserm, T., Van Roozelaar, D., Kant, A., Pol, J., Pijpers, A. and Ter Huurne, A. (2003) Enteropathogenicity of Dutch and German avian reoviruses in SPF white leghorn chickens and broilers. Veterinary Research 34: 285–295.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stappenbeck, T.S., Wong, M.H., Saam, J.R., Mysorekar, I.U. and Gordon, J.I. (1998) Notes from some crypt watchers: regulation of renewal in the mouse intestinal epithelium. Current Opinion Cell Biology 10: 702–709.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Szabo, J., Salyi, G. and Rudas, P. (1989) Effect of malabsorption syndrome on pancreatic function in broilers. Poultry Science 68: 1553–1560.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Uni, Z., Noy, Y. and Sklan, D. (1995) Posthatch changes in morphology and function of the small intestines in heavy- and light-strain chicks. Poultry Science 74: 1622–1629.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Uni, Z., Zaiger, G. and Reifen, R. (1998) Vitamin A deficiency induces morphometric changes and decreased functionality in chicken small intestine. British Journal of Nutrition 80: 401–407.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van Hemert, S., Ebbelaar, B.H., Smits, M.A. and Rebel, J.M. (2003) Generation of EST and microarray resources for functional genomic studies on chicken intestinal health. Animal Biotechnology 14: 133–143.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van Hemert, S., Hoekman, A.J., Smits, M.A. and Rebel, J.M.J. (2004) Differences in Intestinal Gene Expression Profiles in Broiler Lines Varying in Susceptibility to Malabsorption Syndrome. Poultry Science 83: 1675–1682.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van Loon, A.A., Koopman, H.C., Kosman, W., Mumczur, J., Szeleszczuk, O., Karpinska, E., Kosowska, G. and Lutticken, D. (2001) Isolation of a new serotype of avian reovirus associated with malabsorption syndrome in chickens. Veterinary quarterly 23: 129–133.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wong, G.K., Liu, B., Wang, J., Zhang, Y., Yang, X., Zhang, Z., Meng, Q., Zhou, J., Li, D., Zhang, J., Ni, P., Li, S., Ran, L., Li, H., Li, R., Zheng, H., Lin, W., Li, G., Wang, X., Zhao, W., Li, J., Ye, C., Dai, M., Ruan, J., Zhou, Y., Li, Y., He, X., Huang, X., Tong, W., Chen, J., Ye, J., Chen, C., Wei, N., Dong, L., Lan, F., Sun, Y., Yang, Z., Yu, Y., Huang, Y., He, D., Xi, Y., Wei, D., Qi, Q., Li, W., Shi, J., Wang, M., Xie, F., Zhang, X., Wang, P., Zhao, Y., Li, N., Yang, N., Dong, W., Hu, S., Zeng, C., Zheng, W., Hao, B., Hillier, L.W., Yang, S.P., Warren, W.C., Wilson, R.K., Brandstrom, M., Ellegren, H., Crooijmans, R.P., Van Der Poel, J.J., Bovenhuis, H., Groenen, M.A., Ovcharenko, I., Gordon, L., Stubbs, L., Lucas, S., Glavina, T., Aerts, A., Kaiser, P., Rothwell, L., Young, J.R., Rogers, S., Walker, B.A., Van Hateren, A., Kaufman, J., Bumstead, N., Lamont, S.J., Zhou, H., Hocking, P.M., Morrice, D., De Koning, D.J., Law, A., Bartley, N., Burt, D.W., Hunt, H., Cheng, H.H., Gunnarsson, U., Wahlberg, P., Andersson, L., Kindlund, E., Tammi, M.T., Andersson, B., Webber, C., Ponting, C.P., Overton, I.M., Boardman, P.E., Tang, H., Hubbard, S.J., Wilson, S.A., Yu, J. and Yang, H. (2004) Agenetic variation map for chicken with 2.8 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Nature 432: 717–722.Google Scholar
Yamauchi, K., and Isshiki, Y. (1991) Scanning electron microscopic observations on the intestinal villi in growing White Leghorn and broiler chickens from 1 to 30 days of age. British Poultry Science 32: 67–78.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yamauchi, K., Iida, S. and Isshiki, Y. (1992) Post-hatching developmental changes in the ultrastructure of the duodenal absorptive epithelial cells in 1, 10 and 60-d-old chickens, with special reference to mitochondria. British Poultry Science 33: 475–488.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yonash, N., Bacon, L.D., Witter, R.L. and Cheng, H.H. (1999) High resolution mapping and identification of new quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting susceptibility to Marek's disease. Animal Genetics 30: 126–135.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zekarias, B., Songserm, T., Post, J., Kok, G.L., Pol, J.M.A., Engel, B. and Ter Huurne, A. (2002) Development of organs and intestinal mucosa leukocytes in four broiler lines that differ in susceptibility to malabsorption syndrome. Poultry Science 81: 1283–1288.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zekarias, B., Stockhofe-Zurwieden, N., Post, J., Balk, F., Van Reenen, K., Gruys, E., and Rebelj, M.J. (2005) The pathogenesis of and susceptibility to malabsorption syndrome in broilers is associated with heterophil influx into the intestinal mucosa and epithelial apoptosis. Avian Pathology. In press.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed