The Lymphatic Pathology of Brugia pahangi in Nude (Athymic) and Thymic Mice C3H/HeN

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Abstract
The nude (congenitally athymic) mouse, C3H/HeN is highly susceptible to infection with B. pahangi. Normal, hairy mice show a strong thymus-dependent resistance and usually terminate the infection in the larval stages. Chronological histopathologic changes were examined in the lumbar lymph nodes and adjacent lymphatic vessels of both hosts. In thymic mice, lymphangitis and perilymphangitis reached a maximum 14 to 17 days PI, about the time of disappearance of live worms. The infiltrate showed characteristics of both acute and chronic inflammation: eosinophils, neutrophils, eosinophilic precipitates, and sometimes necrotizing lymphangitis, as well as macrophages and plasma cells. The cellular infiltrate in nude mice was weaker and developed more slowly. Inflammatory responses to identifiable dead worms were seen in both types of hosts but appeared more frequently in thymic mice. Although variable in both models, the granulomas of thymic mice generally showed more tendency to cavitation, greater macrophage or epithelioid cell infiltration, more granulocytes, and appeared to be more destructive than the foreign body responses of nude mice. Lymphangiectasis was generally progressive in nude mice, it was arrested before the end of the 3rd wk in thymic mice. In thymic mice, at maximum lumbar lymph node size (17 days), there were large areas of lymphocyte hyperplasia and heavy infiltration of plasma cells. Most nodes returned to normal mean size by the end of the 2nd month. Little or no reactivity was seen in athymic mouse nodes. Apparently, some lesions of lymphatic filariasis are potentially thymus-independent: lymphatic fibrosis, lymphangiectasis, accumulations of macrophages and giant cells around disintegrating worms, calcification of worms, intralymphatic thrombosis, and moderate vascular infiltrates including eosinophils.

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