Influenza Immunoglobulin (Ig) Y Derived from Chicken Egg Yolk: Production, Characterization, and Its Cross-Reactivity

Layer can be used as a biological source to produce specific antibodies called immunoglobulin Y (IgY) for various infectious diseases. This research aims to produce influenza-specific IgY in layers vaccinated with quadrivalent influenza vaccine and determine its cross-reaction ability with other influenza A subtypes. Three Hy-Line Brown layers at 24 weeks of age were used in this study, and influenza-specific antibodies in serum and egg yolk were evaluated from the 1 to 20 weeks after initial vaccination. The presence of influenza-specific antibodies in serum and egg yolk was identified using agar gel precipitation (AGP) test and hemagglutination inhibition (HI). Serum neutralization (SN) test was carried out to determine influenza antibodies ability to cross-neutralize other influenza virus subtypes. At 10 weeks post-first vaccination (p.f.v) was shown to have the highest mean agar gel precipitation (AGP) titer in serum (2 4.7 ), and the highest AGP titer in egg yolk was shown at 5 weeks p.f.v. The highest HI geometric mean titer (GMT) of A/H1N1 antibody reached 2 6.67 HIU at 9 weeks p.f.v., while A/H3N2 antibody reached 2 6 HIU at 6 weeks p.f.v. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) result of purified antibodies from egg yolk indicated the presence of whole IgY structure showing a protein band at ± 188 kDa. Cross-reactivity with influenza A/H5N1 and A/H9N2 was seen in AGP test results, while cross-neutralization with influenza A/H5N1 was observed in SN results. Cross-reactivity and cross-neutralization shown by our resulting antibodies indicating broad-spectrum protection against various influenza virus subtypes.