Effects of spleen cells and serum on transfer of immunity to Strongyloides venezuelensis infection in hypothymic (nude) mice.
The course of Strongyloides venezuelensis infection in congenitally hypothymic (nu/nu) mice and their heterozygous thymus-bearing littermates (nu/+) was followed. Unlike the infected nu/+ mice, the nu/nu mice were unable to expel the worms until the end of the observation period (98 days post-infection). In addition, about three times as many eggs were counted at the peak level of infection in faeces of the infected nu/nu mice in comparison with the nu/+ mice. No acquired resistance to rechallenge was observed among the nu/nu mice. Auto-reinfection within the infected nu/nu mice could not be supposed in the present study. The worm expulsion mechanism was generated by nu/nu mice which had been given syngeneic spleen cells from intact +/+ mice. The expulsion of adult worms, as well as the protection against migrating larvae, occurred anamnestically when spleen cells from immune +/+ mice were transferred. The serum transfer, however, only caused a retardation of larval migration. The results support the hypothesis that direct worm immunity and worm expulsion are a T cell-dependent phenomenon.
Sato
Y
Y
Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan.
Toma
H
H
D000818:Animals; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000276:immunology; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D013321:Strongyloides / Q000276:immunology*; D013322:Strongyloidiasis / Q000276:immunology*
D007106:Immune Sera