Baz A, Carol H, Fernández V, Mourglia-Ettlin G, Nieto A, Orn A, Dematteis S
Echinococcus granulosus: Induction of T-independent antibody response against protoscolex glycoconjugates in early experimental infection. [JOURNAL ARTICLE]
Exp Parasitol 2008 May 14.
In this work CD4-knockout mice were used as a model to analyse the role of CD4(+) T cells in the antibody response against Echinococcus granulosus immunization or experimental infection. Results obtained with mice immunized with protoscolex antigens indicated that these contain T-independent antigens. After infection, CD4-knockout mice and C57Bl/6 mice showed similar titres of specific antibodies indicating that T-independent antibody production was quantitatively important in early infection. We have also identified an antigenic fraction from protoscoleces (E4(+)) which induces CD4 T cell independent antibody response in early stages of infection. In conclusion, the results presented here directly support the existence of T-independent immunogens in E. granulosus protoscoleces and suggest that T-independent antibody response may be quantitatively important in early infection.
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