The immunological response of CBA mice to P. yoelii. I. General characteristics, the effects of T-cell deprivation and reconstitution with thymus grafts.
Experimental infection of normal CBA mice with the parasite Plasmodium berghei yoelii (P. yoelii) resulted in a mild, non-fatal and self-limiting infection which lasted for 15-17 days. Animals which recovered from the primary infection were immune to reinfection though parasites could be detected in the kidneys of such mice 4 weeks after recovery from infection. (No plasmodia were demonstrated in the peripheral blood and other tissues examined.) In T cell-deprived mice, P. yoelii infections resulted in a progressive parasitaemia and proved fatal in 35-40 days. Studies of fluorescent antibody levels and morphological changes in the spleens of infected normal and T cell-deprived mice showed that while normal mice produced high levels of IgG1, IgG2 and IgM antiplasmodial antibodies and developed a strong and sustained germinal centre response, in T cell-deprived animals the production of IgG1 antibodies was almost completely abolished and the germinal centre response severely impaired. Reconstitution of T cell-deprived mice with syngeneic thymus grafts resulted in partial restoration of immunological responsiveness. P. yoelii infections in these reconstituted animals ran a self-limiting course akin to that seen in normal CBA mice; the level of protective immunity and the germinal centre response correlated with the degree of reconstitution achieved.
D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008288:Malaria / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000473:pathology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013934:Thymectomy; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000637:transplantation; D014185:Transplantation, Isogeneic
D007074:Immunoglobulin G