Brugia malayi infection in mice with selective suppression of IgE production.
For the purpose of evaluating the roles of IgE in helminth infections in vivo, IgE-suppressed mice provide useful models. After infection with 50 third-stage larvae of the filarial parasite Brugia malayi, total IgE in BALB/c mice increased to five times higher than uninfected levels. However, anti-B. malayi IgE antibody was not detected, indicating polyclonal IgE B cell activation by the infection. In BALB/c mice which had received repeated injections of anti-mouse epsilon monoclonal antibody from birth and which were subsequently infected, total IgE levels were less than 10 ng/ml, but anti-B. malayi IgG antibody and total IgA were produced similar to the control. Therefore, IgE-isotype-specific suppression was attained. Concerning the protection against B. malayi, the numbers of fourth-stage larvae and adult worms at 2 and 5 weeks after primary infection, respectively, and fourth-stage larvae at 2 weeks after secondary infection were not significantly different between control and IgE-suppressed mice.
Watanabe
N
N
Department of Tropical Medicine, Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Hayashi
Y
Y
Kobayashi
A
A
Ohtomo
H
H
D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D017178:Brugia malayi; D005260:Female; D005368:Filariasis / Q000276:immunology*; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D007814:Larva / Q000469:parasitology; D051379:Mice; D010529:Peritoneal Cavity / Q000469:parasitology; D011247:Pregnancy
D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D007073:Immunoglobulin E