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The serum immune response of young lambs to a primary infection with Nematodirus battus

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

M. D. Winter ,
C. Wright ,
D. Wakelin  and
D. L. Lee
M. D. Winter
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
C. Wright
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
D. Wakelin
Affiliation:
Department of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD
D. L. Lee*
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
*
*Corresponding author. Tel: 0113 233 2913. Fax: 0113 233 2882. E-mail: pab6dll@leeds.ac.uk
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Summary

Young lambs (6–8 weeks of age) were infected with 50000 infective stage larvae of the trichostrongyle nematode Nematodirus battus. Initial mean adult worm burdens of 23884±1678 (S.E.M.) at day 14 post-infection (p.i.) were reduced significantly (P < 0·01) to a mean burden of 5383±1397 by day 21 p.i. Blood samples were taken and serum analysed using ELISA and Western blotting techniques for IgG antibodies specific for N. battus. Pre-infection serum from young naive animals showed IgG recognition of adult and larval N. battus whole worm homogenate. Recognition of adult antigens became reduced during the first 14 days after infection, followed by a subsequent increase beginning between days 14 and 18 p.i. and peaking at day 28 p.i. IgM recognition of N. battus antigens showed a single response peak, starting between days 14 and 18 p.i., without the pre-infection elevated titre as observed with IgG. These results show that young lambs can mount a significant serum response to a primary infection with N. battus during rejection of adult worms and that lambs receive from their dams IgG antibodies that are capable of recognizing adult and larval N. battus during the first few weeks of life.

Keywords

Nematodirus battuslambsnematode rejectionimmunitytrichostrongyle
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 113 , Issue 5 , November 1996 , pp. 491 - 496
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

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