Lymphocyte proliferative responses and the occurrence of dermatophilosis in cattle naturally infested with Amblyomma variegatum

The proliferative response of lymphocytes from tick-infested Zebu type, N'Dama and Friesian cattle and acaricide-treated Zebu types and Friesians in concanavalin A (Con A) stimulated cultures was monitored regularly for periods ranging from 11 to 27 months. The numbers of ticks on the animals and the presence of dermatophilosis were also noted. The Friesian cattle carried most and the N'Dama fewest Amblyomma variegatum ticks. The tick-infested Friesians all developed severe clinical dermatophilosis within 5 months of becoming tick-infested. Dermatophilosis lesions on the tick-infested Zebu type and N'Dama cattle were less common and less severe especially in the N'Damas. The proliferative response of lymphocytes from tick-infested Friesians in Con A stimulated cultures fell to almost half that of the acaricide-treated Friesians soon after the former became tick-infested. The tick-infested Zebu types also developed a depressed response compared with the tick-free Zebu group over a 27 month study period. However, the responses of the N'Damas was similar to that of the tick-free Zebu types. The addition of autologous serum to Con A stimulated cultures of lymphocytes derived from the tick-infested Zebu types and N'Damas suppressed their proliferative response compared with that of similar cultures for the tick-free Zebu types.