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Humoral response of mice infected with Toxocara canis following different infection schemes

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Abstract

The study was focused on the dynamics of humoral response to Toxocara canis excretory-secretory antigens (TES antigens) in mice experimentally infected by T. canis L3 larvae in different ways. In particular, we compared the effect of infection with two doses of 1000 larvae vs. repeated infections with a low number of larvae (daily infection with 10 larvae and weekly infection with 100 larvae in the course of 22 weeks). In ELISA, all infections, including both schemes with lower larval doses, elicited significant antibody response. Elevated levels of total IgE and TES-antigen-specific IgM were detected on day 12 after the first infection, followed by IgG and IgG1, and later by IgG3, IgG2a and IgG2b; specific IgE response was not detected. It seems that the high levels of IgM and IgG1 represent the best markers of infection. In addition, gradual increase of IgG2a and IgG2b could help in determination of the infection course. As a byproduct of our work, a new method of infection by repeated drinking of larvae was introduced; it minimizes the pain and discomfort for the experimental mice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Immunology and Microbiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Studničkova 7, 128 00, Praha 2, Czech Republic

    Jan Novák & Libuše Kolářová

  2. Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Vinična 7, 128 44, Praha 2, Czech Republic

    Lucie Panská, Tomáš Macháček & Petr Horák

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  1. Jan Novák
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  2. Lucie Panská
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  3. Tomáš Macháček
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  4. Libuše Kolářová
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  5. Petr Horák
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Correspondence to Jan Novák.

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Novák, J., Panská, L., Macháček, T. et al. Humoral response of mice infected with Toxocara canis following different infection schemes. Acta Parasit. 62, 823–835 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1515/ap-2017-0099

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