The role of thymocytes and IgG antibody in protection against malaria in nude rats.
Congenitally athymic nude (rnu/rnu) rats developed a high level of parasitemia and died with severe anemia after infection with Plasmodium berghei, while heterozygous littermates (rnu/+) showed a self-limiting infection and resisted further challenge. Transfer of normal thymocytes failed to protect rnu/rnu rats from the subsequent infection. Transfer of immune IgG fraction conferred resistance to malaria on rnu/+ but not on rnu/rnu rats. When both normal thymocyts and immune IgG were administered, rnu/rnu rats showed a self-limiting infection pattern, and a strong protective effect was demonstrated in the spleen after recovery. These results suggested that both T-cells and antibody were essential in developing protective immunity to malaria in this model.
Kamiyama
T
T
Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Health, Tokyo, Japan.
Cortés
G T
GT
Rubio
Z
Z
D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D007110:Immunity, Active; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology*; D008288:Malaria / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D010962:Plasmodium berghei / Q000276:immunology*; D051381:Rats; D011923:Rats, Nude; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D007074:Immunoglobulin G