Changes in the flow and composition of gastric lymph in sheep given a primary infection of 10,000 Haemonchus contortus.
Some aspects of the local immune response to a primary infection with 10,000 Haemonchus contortus were studied in five sheep by monitoring changes in the flow and composition of gastric lymph continuously sampled for up to 34 days from the start of infection. Increases in lymph flow rates were recorded in four animals at varying times after the start of infection. These were usually associated with an increase in the protein content of the lymph and were considered to be a consequence of inflammatory reactions in the abomasum. Apart from a small increase in lymphocyte traffic no changes which could be attributed to a local immune responses were observed in the lymph. It is suggested that the chronic nature of infections like haemonchosis is possibly because the worms can parasitise the gut without stimulating a vigorous local immune response.
D000418:Albumins / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D006188:Haemonchiasis / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D008196:Lymph / Q000032:analysis / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D014252:Trichostrongyloidiasis / Q000662:veterinary*
D000418:Albumins; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G