title: The crowding effect in Ancylostoma ceylanicum: density-dependent effects on an experimental model of infection.
abstract: This study compared the course of Ancylostoma ceylanicum infection in hamsters infected with different inocula and the consequences for the host and helminth populations. The average of adult worms recovered, according to the number of third stage larva used, were 28.0, 24.8, 24.6, and 24.8% to inocula size of 25 L3, 75 L3, 125 L3, and 250 L3, respectively. The size of the inoculum did not affect the establishment, survival, or fecundity of adult helminths. Reductions in the red blood cell and hemoglobin levels in the infected group were inversely proportional to the number of white blood cells. Moreover, differential cell counting revealed a positive correlation between the worm load and leucocyte numbers. The humoral response against excretion-secretion antigens was more robust and sensitive compared with the response against crude extract, with no direct linear correlation with the number of worms. The effect of the population density was more evident in females.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Parasitologia Molecular, Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, CEP 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luciana Ribeiro
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Serafim
authors.forename: Jéssica Paôla Gonçalves
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.forename: Nívia Carolina Nogueira
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: de Paiva
authors.forename: Hudson Andrade
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: dos Santos
authors.forename: Maria da Gloria
authors.initials: Mda G
authors.lastname: Quintão Silva
authors.forename: Cláudia Martins
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Carneiro
authors.forename: Sílvia Regina Costa
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.forename: Élida Mara Leite
authors.initials: ÉM
authors.lastname: Rabelo
mesh_terms: D000722:Ancylostoma / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D000724:Ancylostomiasis / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000276:immunology*; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001835:Body Weight; D006224:Cricetinae; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D056724:Immunity, Humoral; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000473:pathology; D007814:Larva; D008297:Male; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D059208:Parasite Load
chemical_list: D000947:Antigens, Helminth