Study of the local immune response to Fasciola hepatica in the liver and hepatic lymph nodes of goats immunised with a peptide of the Sm14 antigen

Res Vet Sci. 2009 Oct;87(2):226-32. doi: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2009.02.013. Epub 2009 Apr 3.

Abstract

The nature of the local immune response was assessed studying the distribution of CD2(+), CD4(+), CD8(+), gammadelta(+) T lymphocytes, IgM(+) B cells, IL-4(+) and IFN-gamma(+) cells in the liver and hepatic lymph nodes (HLN) of goats immunised with a synthetic peptide of the Sm14 antigen from Schistosoma mansoni and challenged with Fasciola hepatica. A morphometric study of HLN was also carried out in order to evaluate the hyperplasia of lymphoid follicles. Despite the decrease in fluke burdens found in the immunised group (45.9%) respect to the infected control group, this difference was not statistically significant due to the high individual variability. In liver, a significant increase of CD2(+), CD4(+), CD8(+), gammadelta(+) T lymphocytes was found in the infected groups respect to the uninfected control and in the infected control respect to the immunised group. HLN showed a significant enlargement due to the hyperplasia of lymphoid follicles and infiltration of CD2(+), CD4(+), CD8(+), gammadelta(+) T lymphocytes in both infected groups respect to the uninfected control, with no significant differences between the infected control and immunised group. IFN-gamma(+) lymphoid cells was absent or very occasional in HLN where the number of IL-4(+) cells was higher than that of IFN-gamma, suggesting a polarized Th2 response in immunised and in infected control group.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens, Helminth / analysis*
  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • B-Lymphocytes / parasitology
  • Fasciola hepatica / immunology
  • Fasciola hepatica / isolation & purification*
  • Goat Diseases / parasitology*
  • Goats
  • Immunoglobulin M / analysis
  • Interferon-gamma / analysis
  • Interleukin-4 / analysis
  • Liver / immunology
  • Liver / parasitology*
  • Lymph Nodes / immunology
  • Lymph Nodes / parasitology*
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes / parasitology

Substances

  • Antigens, Helminth
  • Immunoglobulin M
  • Interleukin-4
  • Interferon-gamma