Deficiency of antibody responses to T-independent antigens in gerbils---Meriones unguiculatus.

Abstract

Meriones unguiculatus commonly known as gerbils are widely used as animal models for a variety of parasitic infections such as Brugia malayi, Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia duodenalis, Toxoplasma gondi, Helicobacter pylori, Strongyloides stercoralis and Echinococcus multilocularis. Groups of BALB/c mice, gerbils and XID mice were studied for antibody responses to T-independent antigens. Gerbils were found to be significantly deficient in eliciting antibodies to both dextran and phosphorylcholine (PC) in comparison to BALB/c mice. The antibody response of gerbils to T-independent antigens was found to be similar to the response observed in Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk) deficient XID mice, which are known to be poor responders to T-independent antigens. Similar to XID mice, normal gerbil sera were found to be deficient in naturally occurring antibodies to single stranded DNA (SS-DNA), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and phospholipids. This raises the possibility of a deficiency of CD5+ B-lymphocytes (also known as B-1 cells) in gerbils, since deficiency of this sub-population of B-lymphocytes has been attributed to the absence of such naturally occurring antibodies in XID mice. These results indicate the need to study immunogenicity of parasite T-independent antigens and their relationship to protective immunity in parasitic infections in gerbils.

• Authors: Madhu Chhanda Mohanty, Balachandran Ravindran
• Journal: Developmental and comparative immunology (Dev Comp Immunol) Vol. 26 Issue 4 Pg. 385-91 (May 2002) ISSN: 0145-305X [Print] United States
• PMID: 11888652 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antigens, Helminth
• Antigens, T-Independent
• DNA, Single-Stranded
• Dextrans
• Lipopolysaccharides
• Phospholipids
• Phosphorylcholine
• Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
• Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase
• Btk protein, mouse

Topics

• Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase
• Animals
• Antibody Formation
• Antigens, Helminth (administration & dosage)
• Antigens, T-Independent
• B-Lymphocyte Subsets (immunology)
• DNA, Single-Stranded (immunology)
• Dextrans (immunology)
• Gerbillinae (immunology)
• Immunity, Innate
• Immunization
• Lipopolysaccharides (immunology)
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred BALB C
• Mice, Mutant Strains
• Phospholipids (immunology)
• Phosphorylcholine (immunology)
• Protein-Tyrosine Kinases (deficiency, genetics)
• Setaria Nematode (immunology, pathogenicity)
• Species Specificity