First Evidence of Breed-Specific Immune Traits in Local Italian Poultry Breeds

The aim of this study was to provide the first characterization of selected components of innate immunity (lysozyme and complement component C3) and adaptive humoral immunity (immunoglobulin Y) in seven Italian autochthonous chicken breeds and two turkey breeds. A total of 70 chickens (10 animals per breed) and 20 turkeys (10 animals per breed), equally distributed by sex, were sampled. The concentrations of immune traits were determined using avian-specific ELISA kits. In chickens, significant breed effects were detected for all traits, whereas sex influenced lysozyme and complement component C3 levels. Males generally showed greater lysozyme and complement component C3 levels than females. Higher lysozyme levels were found in Bionda Piemontese (920.8 ng/mL) and Bianca di Saluzzo (766.5 ng/mL), while the highest complement component C3 values were observed in Bionda Piemontese (315.2 µg/mL) and Bianca di Saluzzo roosters (287.4 µg/mL) and in Siciliana hens (329.1 µg/mL). Immunoglobulin Y showed limited variation among breeds and sexes. In turkeys, only lysozyme levels differed between breeds. Overall, these preliminary results, obtained from a limited number of individuals, reveal measurable differences in immune traits among Italian autochthonous poultry breeds, particularly for innate immune parameters, suggesting that genetic background may contribute to variation in immune responsiveness. These findings provide baseline data to support genetic conservation strategies and sustainable breeding programs for resilient poultry systems.