PROTECTIVE IMMUNE-MECHANISMS AGAINST THE METACESTODE OF ECHINOCOCCUS-MULTILOCULARIS

Infection with the larval stage of the fox tapeworm Echinococcus multi locularis results in a life-threatening hepatic disease concerning hum ans and intermediate rodent hosts. Immunoepidemiological surveys provi ded information that a large proportion of infected individuals may de monstrate either constitutional resistance to early post-oncospheral d evelopment of the parasite or late resistance to disease by exhibiting an intrahepatic died-out parasite lesion. Similar events have been fo und in secondary infections of laboratory rodents. Dissection of humor al and cell-mediated immune responses in susceptible versus resistant individuals provides insight into immunological pathways associated wi th the different outcome of infection. Survival strategy of the metace stode obviously focuses on the crucial role played by the parasite lam inated layer. This layer protects the metacestode from host effector m echanisms which can potentially kill the proliferating germinative com partments in case of resistant hosts. Bruno Gottstein and Richard Fell eisen here discuss the Meed to search for more parameters discriminati ng between the different immune pathways in order to find out (immunog enetic?) predispositions responsible for the respective phenomena.