Humoral and cell mediated immune responses against Schistosoma spindale in BALB/c mice

(BALB/c mice were infected with cercariae of Schistosoma spindale by tail immersion technique and by dropping some cercariae from a pipet onto the outer surface of the pinna of the ears. Groups of mice were removed on Days 10, 20 and 30 and tested for humoral and cell mediated immune responses using either adult worm or cercarial antigen. On Day 50 the mice were sacrificed and the worm burden was determined for each mouse. This method resulted in an infectivity rate of 89.7%. There was a significant increase in antibody titer to the adult worm antigen while no significant increase was observed for cercarial antigen over the period of the study. Results obtained for cell mediated immunity were more dramatic. There was a significant increase in foot pad swelling for adult worm antigen compared to a significant decrease for cercarial antigen during the course of the infection.