Induction of amyloid arthropathy in chickens

The present report describes a novel chicken model in which reactive (AA) joint amyloidosis arises after ii single injection of Enterococcus faecalis isolated from field outbreaks of reactive amyloid arthropathy in domestic fowl. All six week old brown layer pullets injected intravenously with 10(8) or 10(9) colony forming units developed reactive amyloid arthropathy. Amyloid masses were also present in internal organs. The first articular amyloid deposits were observed 5 days after injection. In internal organs, deposits were encountered from day 13 onwards. On intra-articular injection, amyloid arthropathy developed particularly in the target joint and in the internal organs. This model of AA amyloid arthropathy may contribute in future studies to unravel the pathogenesis of the tissue predilection of amyloid deposition and of amyloid arthropathy in general.