Local and systemic immune responses to Echinococcus granulosus in experimentally infected dogs

Vet Parasitol. 2004 Jan 5;119(1):37-50. doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2003.10.020.

Abstract

Local and systemic immune responses were studied in six dogs experimentally infected with the dog/sheep tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus. All dogs developed similar IgG antibody response to parasite antigens. In contrast, IgE and IgA responses differed widely. No relationship between IgA responses and parasite burden at the end of the infection were observed. Further, clear differences in the anti-parasite IgA response in serum as compared with specific IgA forming cells in mesenteric lymph nodes were observed within the same dog. An inverse association of anti-parasite IgE and parasite load seemed to be present, with the strongest IgE response in the one dog that had no worms in the intestine at the end of the experiment. No differences were observed in the numbers of intestinal mast cells and goblet cells among all infected dogs. However, the dog with no detectable parasite load had a marked reduction of detected mast cells in the submuscular and muscular layer of the mucosa. Our data give new insight into the immune response of dogs during E. granulosus infection and provide information that may be useful for the rational design of vaccines for the control of hydatid disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Helminth / blood
  • Blotting, Western / veterinary
  • Cell Count / veterinary
  • Dog Diseases / immunology*
  • Dog Diseases / parasitology*
  • Dogs
  • Echinococcosis / immunology*
  • Echinococcosis / parasitology
  • Echinococcosis / veterinary*
  • Echinococcus / immunology*
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / veterinary
  • Goblet Cells / immunology
  • Goblet Cells / parasitology
  • Histocytochemistry / veterinary
  • Immunoglobulin Isotypes / blood
  • Intestine, Small / immunology
  • Intestine, Small / parasitology
  • Lymph Nodes / immunology
  • Lymph Nodes / parasitology
  • Mast Cells / immunology
  • Mast Cells / parasitology
  • Peyer's Patches / immunology
  • Peyer's Patches / parasitology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Helminth
  • Immunoglobulin Isotypes