Accelerated elimination of N. brasiliensis from the small intestine after auto-anti-IgE induction.
Immunization of rats with a purified IgE myeloma (IR2) induced an auto-anti-IgE response. Such treatment inhibited total IgE levels in the serum of conventional IgE-producing rats (Marshall & Bell, 1985) and increased the number of mucosal mast cells (MMC) in the intestine. The present study has investigated the ability of auto-anti-IgE induction to influence the course of a Nippostrongylus brasiliensis infection, to modify IgE synthesis, or to affect the number of MMC in the intestine following infection. Auto-anti-IgE induction was found to have a surprising effect on worm elimination. IR2-immunized rats were able to rid themselves of this nematode with an accelerated tempo--a small but significant effect after primary infection, but a substantial enhancement of worm loss after reinfection. Auto-anti-IgE induction was not able to prevent the typical increase in IgE that accompanies an N. brasiliensis infection, nor did it alter the helminth-induced intestinal mastocytosis. When MMC degranulation was measured by assaying the serum levels of a specific rat mast protease (RMCP II) following secondary infection, the amount of RMCP II released was less in auto-anti-IgE-producing rats. These findings have implications for the importance of IgE, MMC and other cells of inflammation in an anti-parasitic response.
D000818:Animals; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000276:immunology; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology*; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000276:immunology; D009349:Nematode Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D009559:Nippostrongylus; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D001323:Autoantibodies; D007073:Immunoglobulin E