Brugia infections occur via the bite of an infected mosquito. Third stage infective larvae (L3) deposited on the skin during feeding migrate into the bite wound, through skin and into the lymphatic system. It is hypothesized that L3 excretory/secretory products (ES) are important in this initial phase of the infection. A model for these early migrations has been established by inoculating L3s into the dermis (ID) of the permissive gerbil host. In this model, most L3s injected ID in the louer hind limb travel to the popliteal lymph node by 3 days post infection. Adult parasites are located primarily in the spermatic cord lymphatics by 28 days post infection. L3s injected into the peritoneal cavity (IP) do not migrate, thus ES may play a different role in these infections. Knowledge is lacking on the role of L3 ES in B. pahangi migration and establishment. Proteins in 24 hour L3 ES may facilitate early L3 migration and antibodies to ES may inhibit migration and/or worm establishment. Migration inhibition was assayed in vivo by immunizing gerbils with either 24 hour L3 ES in RIBI adjuvant or RIBI alone. Gerbils were subsequently challenged either ID or IP with 100 L3s and euthanized at 3 and 106 days post infection. Western blot analysis indicates that antibodies in prechallenge sera are produced against ES and share homology with antigens in other B. pahangi stages. ES immunization increased L3 recovery in both ID and IP infected animals at 3DPI. No difference was noted at 106DPI. ES immunization also reduced L3 migration in ID infected gerbils at 3DPI. At 106DPI, immunized animals showed fewer circulating microfilaria and intralymphatic thrombi. At 3DPI, the increase in worm recoveries following immunization may be associated with a decrease in larval migration. The results also suggest that antibody to ES is insufficient to provide protection at both 3DPI and 106DPI. Nonetheless, this response appears to limit the fecundity of adult worms and subsequent formation of intralymphatic thrombi.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LSU/oai:etd.lsu.edu:etd-03302006-175827 |
| Date | 03 April 2006 |
| Creators | Robertson, Ginger Ann |
| Contributors | James Miller, Thomas Klei, Kevin Macaluso |
| Publisher | LSU |
| Source Sets | Louisiana State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-03302006-175827/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached herein a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to LSU or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below and in appropriate University policies, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
Page generated in 0.0015 seconds