title: A study of the liver of goats immunized with a synthetic peptide of the Sm14 antigen and challenged with Fasciola hepatica.
abstract: A synthetic peptide of the Sm14 antigen of Schistosoma mansoni was used to immunize goats against experimental challenge with Fasciola hepatica. The goats used consisted of: group 1 (unimmunized and uninfected [controls]); group 2 (unimmunized and infected); group 3 (immunized and infected). Compared with group 2, the animals of group 3 showed at necropsy a reduction in hepatic worm burden; however, because of variability in the two groups this reduction was not statistically significant. A gross morphometric study of the hepatic changes revealed a correlation between lesions and worm burdens in group 3. No significant differences in damaged areas were found between groups 2 and 3, except that group 2 had more severe bile duct hyperplasia. A striking hepatic inflammatory infiltration of CD3+ T lymphocytes and IgG+ plasma cells was found in both groups 2 and 3, especially the latter.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Anatomía y Anatomía Patológica Comparadas, Facultad de Veterinaria de Córdoba, Edificio de Sanidad Animal, Campus de Rabanales, Ctra. Madrid-Cádiz, Km 396, 14014 Córdoba.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zafra
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Buffoni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martínez-Moreno
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pérez-Ecija
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Martinez-Moreno
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pérez