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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Ruminant Diseases and Immunology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #62983
Title: CELLULAR IMMUNE FUNCTIONS OF NEONATAL TO WEANLING MICE IN RESPONSE TO CRYPTOSPORIDIUM PARVUM ANTIGEN

Author
item Harp, James
item SACCO, RANDY - IA STATE UNIV., AMES, IA

Submitted to: Journal of Parasitology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/12/1995
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Cryptosporidium parvum is an intestinal parasite that causes diarrhea in humans and livestock. There is no vaccine or drug treatment for this disease. Newborn animals and young children are more often affected by this disease than are adults. We studied the development of immunity to Cryptosporidium in baby mice as they matured to adulthood. We found that changes occurred in the immune system of these mice that corresponded to the development of resistance to Cryptosporidium. These changes may be the result of exposure to normal bacteria in the intestine or to new foods as the mice are weaned. These results will help to determine why children and young animals are more susceptible to Cryptosporidium than are adults, and may lead to methods of controlling the disease.

Technical Abstract: Lymphocyte phenotypes and cellular immune responses (blastogenesis and production of cytokines) to Cryptosporidium parvum were determined for spleen cells taken from BALB/c mice. These parameters were measured in mice at 1, 2, 3, and 4 wk of age, either exposed or not exposed to C. parvum in vivo. The percent of T cells and the T helper subset increased from wk 2 to 4; B cells reached a peak percent at 2 wk. Blastogenic responses were elevated at 1 wk, and declined to a low level during wk 2 to 4. Interferon-gamma production was maximal at 4 wk. No interleukin-5 production was seen. Data obtained were similar for cells from mice either exposed or not exposed to C. parvum in vivo. These data indicate that age-related changes, particularly the increased percent of T cells and increased interferon-gamma production, are temporally related to the acquisition of resistance to colonization of mice with C. parvum. The data also indicate that these age-related changes occur in the absence of specific exposure to parasite antigens.