The response toSchistosoma bovisin normal and T-cell deprived mice

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Abstract
SUMMARY: Normal and T-cell deprived mice have been compared in their response to infection withSchistosoma bovis. The deprived mice survived longer than comparably infected, immunologically intact controls, despite an increased longevity of the adultS. bovisworms in the former animals giving rise to higher tissue egg densities. The reduced pathology in deprived mice was due to inhibition of T-cell dependent granuloma formation around tissue-bound schistosome eggs, with concomitantly decreased tissue disruption as evidenced by smaller spleens and lower circulating transaminase concentrations. These observations onS. boviscontrast with the greater morbidity and earlier mortality induced byS. mansoniin T-cell deprived mice, the latter due to an hepatotoxic potential ofS. mansonieggs that is expressed in the absence of the host immune response. The absence of hepatocyte damage aroundS. boviseggs in deprived mice indicates that this schistosome lacks such a toxin, and this could explain why duringS. bovisinfection synthesis of the two acute-phase proteins, complement C3 and serum amyloid P-component (SAP) here seemed less T-dependent than has previously been found duringS. mansoniinfection of mice. In a time-course experiment the hypergammaglobulinaemia induced byS. bovis, and the specific IgG antibody response against egg antigens were significantly T-cell dependent during the early stages of patency. Similarly, in most experiments assayed once between 9 and 11 weeks afterS. bovisinfection, deprived mice had significantly reduced hypergammaglobulinaemias, and reduced specific IgM and IgG antibody responses against both worm and egg antigens.