Immunogenicity of haptenated schistosomula in vitro.
Skin-stage schistosomula of Schistosoma mansoni modified with 2,4,6-trinitrophenyl (TNP) induce primary anti-TNP plaque-forming cell (PFC) responses in normal mouse spleen cells in vitro. The PFC are TNP-specific, and the response is dependent on adherent cells and T lymphocytes. In contrast, comparably haptenated lung stage larvae are weakly or nonimmunogenic in this system, and their inability to stimulate anti-TNP PFC cannot be attributed to a toxic or suppressive effect. These observations suggest that maturation of schistosomula in vivo is accompanied by a decline in their immunogenicity, which, along with other adaptive mechanisms, may promote the survival of parasites in the host environment.
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D006241:Haptens / Q000276:immunology*; D006462:Hemolytic Plaque Technique; D007814:Larva / Q000276:immunology; D008168:Lung / Q000469:parasitology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000276:immunology; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000276:immunology*; D014301:Trinitrobenzenes / Q000276:immunology
D006241:Haptens; D014301:Trinitrobenzenes