CYTOTOXICITY OF HUMAN AND BABOON MONONUCLEAR PHAGOCYTES AGAINST SCHISTOSOMULA INVITRO - INDUCTION BY IMMUNE-COMPLEXES CONTAINING IGE AND SCHISTOSOMA-MANSONI ANTIGENS

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  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 33  (1) , 48-56
Abstract
Normal human blood monocytes, pre-incubated at 37.degree. C with sera from patients infected with S. mansoni, strongly adhered to S. mansoni schistosomula in vitro, whereas no significant adherence was induced by sera from uninfected individuals. Comparable adherence occurred with normal baboon blood monocytes or peritoneal macrophages when these cells were incubated with sera from S. mansoni-infected baboons. Adherence of macrophages to schistosomula was associated with damage to the larvae, as estimated by a 51Cr release technique. Neither adherence nor cytotoxicity was induced by pre-incubation of the schistosomula, instead of the monocytes, with immune serum. The relevant factor in immune serum was heat-labile, but was not a complement component. Absorption and ultracentrifugation experiments showed that immune complexes, containing S. mansoni-specific Ig[immunoglobulin]E antibody and soluble parasite antigens, produced monocyte or macrophage adherence and cytotoxicity. Similar observations were reported previously in the rat model. Since the production of large amounts of IgE is a predominant feature of schistosome infections in man and experimental animals, this new mode of mononuclear phagocyte activation could act as an immune effector mechanism against S. mansoni.