Z. Su et C. Dobson, GENETIC AND IMMUNOLOGICAL ADAPTATION OF HELIGMOSOMOIDES-POLYGYRUS IN MICE, International journal for parasitology, 27(6), 1997, pp. 653-663
Two lines of Heligmosomoides polygyrus, QN and QA, were selected by pa
ssage, respectively, through naive and immune Quackenbush (Q) mice and
their biology and capacity to induce immune responses in homologous Q
and heterologous low- (SL) and high-responder (RH) mice were assessed
. QA H. polygyrus survived the impact of otherwise protective immunity
in Q mice better than did QN parasites, especially after a secondary
infection. The enhanced survival of QA parasites was observed also in
SL but not in RH mice. Infections with QA phenotypes induced a reduced
antibody response and lower eosinophilia compared to QN parasites in
Q mice. The total numbers of nucleated cells in the mesenteric lymph n
ode (MLN) and spleen increased to different extents according to the g
enotype of the mice and the phenotype of parasite used: the increase w
as most profound in RH, least in SL and intermediate in Q mice; QN ind
uced more lymphocytosis in the MLN and spleen than did QA parasite phe
notypes. B cells from MLN and spleen, stained with fluorochrome-conjug
ated antibody against mouse Ig, showed increased intensity of fluoresc
ence in the flow cytometric assay after infection with H. polygyrus, b
ut to different degrees: the intensity increased most in RH and least
in SL mice; more in Q mice infected with QN than with QA H. polygyrus.
These results suggest that adaptation of parasites to immunity of the
host is associated with reduction of their immunogenicity and is spec
ific to the immune status and genotype of the host to which the parasi
tes have become adapted. (C) 1997 Australian Society for Parasitology.
Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.