Immunosuppression in Sarcocystis muris-infected mice: evidence for suppression of antibody and cell-mediated responses to a heterologous antigen.
Mice infected with Sarcocystis muris showed a significant reduction in plaque-forming cells (PFC) and delayed-type hypersensitivity (DHS) responses to an unrelated protein antigen, bovine gamma-globulin, when compared with uninfected controls. This immunosuppression was observed only when infection preceded immunization or when mice were immunized concurrently with infection, suggesting that suppression induced by murine sarcocystosis affected the induction and/or the differentiation of antigen-sensitive immunocytes. The immunosuppression lasted for 5 weeks, the period of this study, and affected cell-mediated responses more than antibody responses. The secondary PFC and DHS responses of mice immunized 14 days after infection and re-immunized 21 days later were also significantly lower than those of uninfected controls, whereas the secondary PFC and DHS responses of mice primed before infection were unimpaired. This indicated that S. muris infection affects only the induction but not the expression of immune memory.
Gill
H S
HS
Department of Veterinary Pathology and Public Health, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
Charleston
W A
WA
Moriarty
K M
KM
D000818:Animals; D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000276:immunology; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D051379:Mice; D012523:Sarcocystosis / Q000276:immunology*; D005719:gamma-Globulins / Q000276:immunology
D005719:gamma-Globulins