This study investigated the immunological aspects of Entamoeba histolytica infection in Syrian hamsters. Immunization of hamsters by an intradermal injection with live axenic amoebae, conferred complete protection against amoebic liver abscess. Protection was achieved with homologous or heterologous strains of E. histolytica and was dose-dependent. Combination of thymectomy and anti T-cell serum treatment significantly increased the size of liver abscess and metastatic dissemination of the parasite. It was shown that a cell-mediated immune response controls the healing of skin ulcers in vaccinated animals and thus confers on them resistance to intrahepatic amoebic challenge infection. Resistance to hepatic infection with E. histolytica can be passively transferred to normal recipients with sensitized cells, but not with immune serum. Sensitized cells from vaccinated, protected or infected animal kill E. histolytica trophozoites in vitro. Splenectomy reduces the resistance of hamsters to amoebic infection. It is suggested that macrophages are required in the host defence against the establishment of amoebic abscess in the liver and dissemination of amoebae to other organs.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.68565 |
| Date | January 1981 |
| Creators | Ghadirian, Esfandiar. |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Doctor of Philosophy (Institute of Parasitology) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 000595575, proquestno: AAINK51963, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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