Data from: Cytokine responses in birds challenged with the human food-borne pathogen Campylobacter jejuni implies a Th17 response

Development of process orientated understanding of cytokine interactions
within the gastrointestinal tract during an immune response to pathogens
requires experimentation and statistical modelling. The immune response
against pathogen challenge depends on the specific threat to the host.
Here, we show that broiler chickens mount a breed-dependent immune
response to Campylobacter jejuni infection in the caeca by analysing
experimental data using frequentist and Bayesian structural equation
models (SEM). SEM provides a framework by which cytokine
interdependencies, based on prior knowledge, can be tested. In both breeds
important cytokines including pro-inflammatory interleukin (IL)-1β, ,
IL-4, IL-17A, interferon (IFN)-γ and anti-inflammatory IL-10 and
transforming growth factor (TGF)-β4 were expressed post-challenge. The SEM
revealed a putative regulatory pathway illustrating a T helper (Th)17
response and regulation of IL-10, which is breed-dependent. The prominence
of the Th17 pathway indicates the cytokine response aims to limit the
invasion or colonization of an extracellular bacterial pathogen but the
time-dependent nature of the response differs between breeds.