Decrease in C-reactive protein levels in rabbits after vaccination with a live attenuated myxoma virus vaccine

The aim of this study was to evaluate the acute phase reaction and immune response of rabbits triggered by vaccination with a live attenuated myxoma virus (MXT) vaccine. Thirteen adult and 11 juvenile New Zealand white rabbit-based crossbreed rabbits, were used. Samples of rabbit peripheral blood were collected from vena auricularis centralis into heparinised tubes before vaccination and 48 h after vaccination. All animals were vaccinated by subcutaneous injection (0.5 ml) with a MXT vaccine. The blood plasma C-reactive protein level was measured by an ELISA kit using a double-antibody sandwich. For phenotyping of lymphocytes the fresh cells were stained with the following anti-rabbit monoclonal antibodies: anti-IgM, anti-CD4, anti-CD8 and anti-pan T2. Our results show that the use of attenuated myxoma virus vaccine significantly decreases the level of C-reactive protein in blood plasma of adult rabbits by 38.14% (P < 0.05) and of juvenile rabbits by 37.63% (P < 0.001), within 48 h. The rabbit C-reactive protein after MXT vaccination is a negative acute phase protein. In the group of adult rabbits the immune response to MXT vaccination was accompanied by a non-significant decrease in CD4+, pT2+, IgM+ subsets. On the other hand the values of CD8+, CD4+CD8+ and CD4+/CD8+ were non-significantly higher after MXT vaccination.