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Local intestinal immunity of broiler chickens in protection against Newcastle disease under different vaccination programs: a narrative review

This paper presents a narrative review of current literature on the intestinal mucosal immunity of broiler chickens and its role in protection against Newcastle disease under diff erent vaccination programs. The aim of the study was to systematize available data on barrier, humoral, and cellular mechanisms of intestinal mucosal defense, to compare immune responses induced by live and HVT-vectored vaccines, and to identify priority biomarkers for the applied evaluation of vaccination strategies. The study was carried out as a focused narrative literature review based on the analysis of scientifi c publications addressing avian mucosal immunity, gut-associated lymphoid tissue, intestinal barrier function, live Newcastle disease vaccines, and recombinant HVT-vectored vaccines. According to the analyzed sources, eff ective control of Newcastle disease is determined not only by circulating antibody levels but also by the functional state of the mucosal barrier, GALT activity, secretory IgA production, pIgR and MUC2 expression, local cytokine profi les, and the activity of cellular eff ectors within the intestinal mucosa. Live vaccines administered via mucosal routes generally induce a faster local immune response, whereas HVT-vectored vaccines provide longer-lasting systemic and cellular immunity and are less aff ected by maternal antibodies. A combined vaccination strategy, in which an HVT-vectored vaccine is used for early priming and a live vaccine serves as a subsequent mucosal booster, appears to be the most promising approach for broiler production. Priority intestinal mucosal immune biomarkers include sIgA, IgA+ cells, pIgR, MUC2, IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, CD4+, CD8+, CD68+, and morphometric parameters of the intestinal mucosa. It is stated out that the inclusion of intestinal mucosal immunity parameters in the evaluation of vaccination programs may improve the predictive value of Newcastle disease control in broiler production and can be applied in the design of experimental and field oriented studies.

Keywords: protection, mucosal immunity, intestinal gut-associated lymphoid tissue, HVT-vectored vaccines, live vaccines, mucosal biomarkers.

OROBCHUK A. https://orcid.org/0009-0003-0756-5354


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Scientific Journal of Veterinary Medicine 1'2026