Specific cross-immunity betweenHymenolepis nanaandH. diminuta: immunization with heterologous and homologous light infections

Abstract

The consequences of previous and concurrent infection with two related species of cestodes, Hymenolepis nana and H. diminuta, were studied in CD1 mice. A H. diminuta infection strongly affected the establishment and the survival of a secondary H. nana egg or cyst infection administered 30 days later. An infection of 20 H. nana eggs strongly protected against a 5-cyst H. diminuta challenge, whereas an infection of 10 H. nana cysts was ineffective; 20 H. nana eggs also protected against a challenge with 5 cysts of H. diminuta administered 5 days later. No effects were observed in either parasite during a concurrent infection established by administration of cysts. An H. nana egg-infection was unable to affect the establishment of a secondary H. nana cyst-infection given 1 month later; however a significant decrease in growth was found. Similar results were found when a primary H. nana egg-infection was followed 5 days later by the homologous cyst-infection. But an infection with 5 H. nana cysts was unable to protect against a homologous challenge of 5 cysts or 20 eggs. The reciprocal cross immunity between the heterologous parasites and the failure of protection of homologous challenges are discussed in relation to light infections.

Helminth Parasites of Conventionally Maintained Laboratory Mice: II- Inbred Strains with an Adaptation of the Anal Swab Technique

“…The release of multiple antigens in an already parasitized animal model, further exposed to experimental infections or submitted to vaccination protocols, aiming either the maintenance of lifecycles in laboratory or the obtaintion of specific immune responses, may determine the infeasibility or inaccuracy concerning the expected results, considering that physiological and immunological natural conditions are deeply affected by the presence of undetected parasites (Vyas et al 1981, Gabrielle et al 1988, Pinto et al 1994.…”

Factors influencing Dipylidium sp. infection in a free-ranging social carnivore, the spotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta)

“…Studies on mammalian host immune responses to Taenia species (reviewed by Lightowlers et al, 2003) and of rodents to Hymenolepis diminuta infection (reviewed by McKay, 2010) have revealed complex host immune responses to cestode infection and evidence for the development of immunological memory following an initial infection with some but not all cestodes. Furthermore, cross immunity between cestode species may occur, as previous and concurrent infection with one species can prevent infection with another species (e.g., Gabriele et al, 1988;Ito et al, 1988;Wang and McKay, 2005). There is evidence that acquisition of immunity against helminth parasites may be impaired by severe undernourishment, particularly in hosts that lose protein mass (reviewed by Coop and Kyriazakis, 1999), possibly because of tradeoffs between the allocation of body resources to immunity and other key body functions (Coop and Kyriazakis, 1999;Schmid-Hempel, 2011).…”