Passive transfer of protective immunity to larval Dirofilaria immitis from dogs to BALB/c mice.

Publication/Presentation Date

4-1-1991

Abstract

Protective immunity to larval Dirofilaria immitis has been demonstrated in both the natural host, the dog, and in an experimental host, the mouse. In the present study, sera were collected and pooled from dogs that had been shown to have protective immunity to larval D. immitis. The pooled serum was inoculated into normal BALB/cByJ mice that then were challenged with third-stage larvae (L3) implanted in diffusion chambers. Two weeks postchallenge no significant difference was seen in either parasite survival or growth. Three weeks postchallenge, there was a significant decrease in parasite survival in mice receiving serum from immune dogs. Living larvae recovered at 3 wk postchallenge were significantly shorter than cohorts recovered from control mice. Antibody responses to L3 and forth-stage larvae (L4) surface antigens, to L3 and L4 aqueous soluble antigens, and to an excretory-secretory antigen fraction were measured. Only antibody responses to L3 surface antigens were elevated in the immune serum as compared to controls, thus suggesting a possible role for antibodies with specificity for surface antigens in protective immunity.

Volume

77

Issue

2

First Page

254

Last Page

257

ISSN

0022-3395

Disciplines

Business Administration, Management, and Operations | Health and Medical Administration | Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods

PubMedID

2010857

Department(s)

Administration and Leadership

Document Type

Article

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