Time courses of antibody levels inMastomys natalensis after infections withLitomosoides carinii, dipetalonema viteae, brugia malayi orB. pahangi, determined by ELISA

Abstract

Using a Litomosoides carinii adult antigen, time courses of antibody levels were followed by an ELISA in L. carinii, Dipetalonema viteae, Brugia malayi and B. pahangi infected Mastomys natalensis. Using various groups of infected animals, periods up to 400 days after infection were covered. In L. carinii infected Mastomys, antibodies were first detected 11 days p.i. and levels increased rapidly until day 40. Temporarily reduced levels about the beginning of patency were followed by increasing values until about 100 days p.i. Then the antibody content of the sera remained more or less constant until about 250 days p.i. although maximum levels were found at day 170. Thereafter, the antibody concentration in the sera declined slowly but high levels were still observed 390 days p.i. The antibody content was usually higher in animals with high microfilariae densities than in those with low microfilariae counts but relations could not be proven statistically. In D. viteae infected Mastomys, maximum antibody values were reached within the beginning of patency. Levels were not altered markedly until about 110 days p.i. Thereafter they decreased slightly but then remained constant until the end of the investigation period 350 days p.i. B. malayi infected animals showed a rapid increase of the antibody content in the sera; a maximum was reached by 20 days after the infection. Thereafter, somewhat constant levels were found for 4--5 months. After 300 days p.i. the antibody levels declined progressively, accompanied with increasing parasitaemia densities; after 380 days the levels reached about 2/3 of the maximum. However, despite this, no relation was found between the levels of parasitaemia and antibody in individual animals. In B. pahangi infections the main prepatent antibody increase occurred during week 5 p.i., when maximum values were observed. The beginning of patency and the early patency were accompanied with slightly declining antibody levels. From 150 days p.i. until the end of the investigation 400 days p.i., the antibody content of the sera was fairly constant.

Cellular and humoral immune responses of jirds resistant to Dipetalonema viteae infection

“…The presence of an immunodepression appears to have little effect on the generation of humoral responses to D. viteae in the inbred jird. Significant antibody titers were observed at times similar to those previously reported for D. viteae infections of the outbred jird (26), hamster (40, 41), white rat (32), and multimammate rat (35). Additionally, these times coincide with times reported for the appearance of significant antibody titers for B. malayi in the jird (34), B.…”

19s and 7s antibody response of Mastomys natalensis in experimental filarial (Litomosoides carinii, Acanthocheilonema viteae, Brugia malayi, B. pahangi) infections

“…In general total ab levels increased in L. curinii infected Mastomys later than in other infections but reached high titres during patency. The time course corresponded well with that of previous observations (ZAHNER et al, 1970;TANDON et al, 1983). In all other infections high ab levels occurred already during early prepatency followed by persisting or slightly increasing levels later on.…”

Immunomodulatory effects in Litomosoides sigmodontis -infected Mastomys coucha

“…In addition, information is available on the humoral response of the animal to ®larial infections (e. g., Tandon et al 1983;Zahner et al 1987b) and on its immunoglobulin characteristics (Zahner et al 1987a;Schares and Zahner 1993). To compare T-cell responses with antibody responses we also determined levels of speci®c IgG 1 and IgG 2 antibodies.…”