BioOne.org will be down briefly for maintenance on 17 December 2024 between 18:00-22:00 Pacific Time US. We apologize for any inconvenience.
How to translate text using browser tools
1 February 2006 CONCOMITANT IMMUNITY IN A RODENT MODEL OF FILARIASIS: THE INFECTION OF MERIONES UNGUICULATUS WITH ACANTHOCHEILONEMA VITEAE
Sethu Rajakumar, Wilfrid Bleiss, Susanne Hartmann, Peter Schierack, Anorte Marko, Richard Lucius
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

In an attempt to study the occurrence of concomitant immunity in filarial infections, jirds (Meriones unguiculatus) were experimentally infected with Acanthocheilonema viteae, and patent animals were superinfected with a defined dose of A. viteae stage 3 larvae (L3). Infected animals harbored significantly less worms deriving from the superinfection than the control group (P < 0.05, 56.2%, and 63.4% protection), as shown by analysis of female worms 6 wk after superinfection on the basis of their developmental status and their length. This protection was not due to contact with L3 antigens because a significant reduction of worm burdens deriving of a superinfection was also observed after subcutaneous implantation of a single female worm (P < 0.05, 40.2% and 64.9% protection). The induced protective responses target L3 and restrict their migration because an established infection resulted in a reduction of L3 recovery (95.6% and 94.3%, P < 0.001) from tissues of jirds at day 5 after superinfection. Other data show that L3 from a superinfection are trapped within eosinophil-rich granulomas, which is likely to create unfavorable conditions for the worms and to lead to later death. Taken together, established A. viteae-infections partially protect hosts against homologous superinfection by an immune-mediated mechanism and, thus, regulate the population density of the parasites within the host by concomitant immunity.

Sethu Rajakumar, Wilfrid Bleiss, Susanne Hartmann, Peter Schierack, Anorte Marko, and Richard Lucius "CONCOMITANT IMMUNITY IN A RODENT MODEL OF FILARIASIS: THE INFECTION OF MERIONES UNGUICULATUS WITH ACANTHOCHEILONEMA VITEAE," Journal of Parasitology 92(1), 41-45, (1 February 2006). https://doi.org/10.1645/GE-3507.1
Received: 25 January 2005; Accepted: 1 May 2005; Published: 1 February 2006
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission
Back to Top