EN
The effect of anti-Yersinia pseudotuberculosis vaccine and Propionibacterium acnes immunostimulator on β₁-fraction (transferrin), total and unsaturated iron binding capacity (TIBC, UIBC), and iron concentration in sera of mares and foals was investigated. The research was conducted on 40 clinically healthy mares 5 weeks before parturition and later on their 40 foals. All foals were 3-months-old. Two kinds of medicaments were used: immunostimulator based on CN5936 Propionibacterium acnes strain and inactivated vaccine made of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, a strain isolated from the lungs of foals with yersiniosis. Medicaments were introduced as a hypodermic injection (1 ml per mare, 0.5 ml per foal). Statistically significant growth of β₁-fraction and TIBC (P ≤ 0.01) was observed in the sera of mares and their foals only after simultaneous injection of both medicaments. Furthermore, the increase of UIBC (P ≤ 0.01) was observed in mares. An increase in UIBT concentration was an additional protection for mares against yersiniosis. Neither medicaments had effected the sera concentration of iron, which was 2 times higher in foals (35.86-40.46 mmol/l) than in mares (17.38-20.93 mmol/l). Therefore, it was suggested that the insufficient development of specific humoral immunity in foals in connection with high sera iron concentration could result in a pulmonary form of yersiniosis.