PROTECTIVE ANTIBODIES AGAINST TAENIA-TAENIAEFORMIS IN RATS INFECTED WITH EGGS OR INJECTED WITH NONVIABLE ONCOSPHERES OR RECOMBINANT ANTIGENS OF ONCOSPHERES

Antibody responses against Taenia taeniaeformis in rats infected with eggs or injected with non-viable oncospheres or recombinant antigens o f oncospheres were analysed by passive transfer of serum and Western b lotting. When recipient rats were injected with 1 ml serum from donors infected with eggs (infected serum), they all showed complete resista nce to oral egg challenge, whereas those injected with 1 ml serum from donors injected with either oncospheres or recombinant antigens (vacc inated serum) showed no resistance. IgG and IgG subclass responses det ected by Western blotting revealed that antibody responses to oncosphe re antigens in infected serum thoroughly differed from those in vaccin ated serum. It is suggested that IgG(2a) responses in infected serum s hould be used for screening of epitopes for candidate vaccine.