Deficiency of antibody responses to T-independent antigens in gerbils---Meriones unguiculatus.
Meriones unguiculatus commonly known as gerbils are widely used as animal models for a variety of parasitic infections such as Brugia malayi, Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia duodenalis, Toxoplasma gondi, Helicobacter pylori, Strongyloides stercoralis and Echinococcus multilocularis. Groups of BALB/c mice, gerbils and XID mice were studied for antibody responses to T-independent antigens. Gerbils were found to be significantly deficient in eliciting antibodies to both dextran and phosphorylcholine (PC) in comparison to BALB/c mice. The antibody response of gerbils to T-independent antigens was found to be similar to the response observed in Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk) deficient XID mice, which are known to be poor responders to T-independent antigens. Similar to XID mice, normal gerbil sera were found to be deficient in naturally occurring antibodies to single stranded DNA (SS-DNA), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and phospholipids. This raises the possibility of a deficiency of CD5+ B-lymphocytes (also known as B-1 cells) in gerbils, since deficiency of this sub-population of B-lymphocytes has been attributed to the absence of such naturally occurring antibodies in XID mice. These results indicate the need to study immunogenicity of parasite T-independent antigens and their relationship to protective immunity in parasitic infections in gerbils.
Mohanty
Madhu Chhanda
MC
Division of Applied Immunology, Regional Medical Research Centre, ICMR, Chandrasekharpur, Orissa 751 016, Bhubaneswar, India.
Ravindran
Balachandran
B
D000077329:Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000955:Antigens, T-Independent; D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000276:immunology; D003911:Dextrans / Q000276:immunology; D005849:Gerbillinae / Q000276:immunology*; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007114:Immunization; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000276:immunology; D010767:Phosphorylcholine / Q000276:immunology; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics; D017182:Setaria Nematode / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D013045:Species Specificity
D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D000955:Antigens, T-Independent; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D003911:Dextrans; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D010743:Phospholipids; D010767:Phosphorylcholine; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D000077329:Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase; C000625951:Btk protein, mouse