Salmonella enteritidis (SE) is of great concern to the poultry industry due to the organism's ability to penetrate the intestinal mucosa of the laying hen and subsequently colonize the ovaries and yolk membrane. The resultant subclinical infection can lead to SE infection of raw eggs and egg products. Interference with the ability of the organism to invade has been linked to the activation and recruitment of inflammatory polymorphonuclear cells, heterophils, to the lamina propria of the intestinal tract.Recently it has been established that heterophil activation and increased resistance to SE organ invasion can be accomplished by the administration of SE-immune lymphokines (SE-ILK) obtained from supernatants of concanavalin-A stimulated SE immune T lymphocytes from SE hyperimmunized hens. Invasion of SE into the lamina propria provides a secondary signal for directing activated heterophils to the site of SE invasion.
