ROLE OF HOST IMMUNE-RESPONSE IN THE OCCURRENCE OF GASTROPATHY IN RATSINFECTED WITH LARVAL TAENIA-TAENIAEFORMIS

Decrease of spleen weight from peak to control levels together with a corresponding decline of serum IgG level at the onset of gastric hyper plasia in Taenia taeniaeformis-infected euthymic rats, may indicate th at a form of down regulation of host immune response during the course of larval T. taeniaeformis infection could facilitate the occurrence of gastropathy in rats. Gastric hyperplasia developed in T. taeniaefor mis-infected athymic nude rats, indicating that occurrence of gastropa thy associated with larval T. taeniaeformis infection in the rat is T cell independent. Apparently, gastric hyperplasia appeared early in nu de rats which suggests that absence of T cell-mediated response could have facilitated its early occurrence.