Features of Schistosoma mansoni infection in SCID mice.
Features of Schistosoma mansoni infection in SCID mice, which lack functional T- and B-lymphocytes, were investigated. The retarded development of parasites as well as reduction of liver egg recovery in SCID mice was significantly lower than those in congenic counterpart C.B-17 mice. Furthermore, the rate of parasite recovery from SCID mice with primary infection was always lower than that from C.B-17 mice by 20%, showing the innate resistance to S. mansoni infection. SCID mice vaccinated with UV-attenuated S. mansoni cercariae did not show protective immunity against a homologous challenge infection. The present innate resistance exhibited in SCID mice is discussed in relation to cell mediated immunity of macrophage activation by IFN-gamma which would not involve T-lymphocytes but is initiated by IL-12 and TNF-alpha cytokines. SCID mice may provide novel information on the host-parasite relationship in schistosome infections.
Ozaki
T
T
Department of Parasitology, Hirosaki University School of Medicine, Aomori, Japan.
Kumagai
M
M
Inaba
T
T
Soto
H
H
Ito
M
M
Kamiya
H
H
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains / Q000469:parasitology; D016513:Mice, SCID / Q000469:parasitology*; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors