ISSN:
1432-1955
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Medicine
Notes:
Abstract Litomosoides carinii-, Acanthocheilonema viteae- orBrugia malayi-infectedMastomys natalensis were sensitised against sheep red blood cells (SRBC) on various occasions after infection to determine the effect of filarial infections on the immune response to a non-filarial antigen. The phagocytic activity of the reticuloendothelial system (RES) was controlled in vivo by the elimination of51Cr-labelled SRBC. Antibody titres against SRBC (agglutinating and lytic antibodies) were similar to those of uninfected controls inL. carinii-orB. malayi-infectedMastomys sensitised during prepatency or early patency up to 90 days post infection (p.i.) but were reduced in animals sensitised during patency. A significant inverse correlation existed between anti-SRBC antibody titres and microfilaraemia levels. In contrast,A. viteae-infectedMastomys showed reduced humoral anti-SRBC responses at the end of prepatency, whereas the response tended towards normal with increasing parasitaemia. Delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) against SRBC was measured as footpad swelling after sensitisation by the s.c. or i.v. route and intraplantar challenge. DTH reactions were reduced during prepatency in all infections after s.c. sensitisation. During patency, 24-h reactions were similar to those of age-matched controls but the swelling persisted 24 or 48 h longer than in the latter. InA. viteae infections, even enhanced 24-h reactions were found during patency. Histological investigations did not reveal differences in the type of cell infiltrations between infected and control animals. After i.v. sensitisation with SRBC,L. carinii- andA. viteae-infected animals showed weaker DTH reactions than the controls, independent of the period after infection. In the case ofB. malayi infections, DTH reactions were similar to those of controls during early prepatency, whereas reduced DTH responses were observed later than 50 days p.i. As shown inL. carinii-infected animals, depressed DTH reactions after i.v. sensitisation did not depend on an altered expression phase but rather on an altered regulation during the inductive phase of the response: increases in the sensitising SRBC doses that caused decreasing DTH reactions in uninfected animals led to enhanced reactions in infected animals. Phagocytosis of i.v. injected51Cr-labelled SRBC was enhanced during prepatency inL. carinii infection and during patency in all infections.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00931137
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