Study of the local immune response to Fasciola hepatica in the liver and hepatic lymph nodes of goats immunised with a peptide of the Sm14 antigen

• Published in: Research in veterinary science Vol. 87; no. 2; pp. 226 - 232
• Main Authors: Zafra, R., Buffoni, L., Pérez-Écija, R.A., Mendes, R.E., Martínez-Moreno, A., Martínez-Moreno, F.J., Pérez, J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2009; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Animals; Antigens, Helminth - analysis; B-Lymphocytes - immunology; B-Lymphocytes - parasitology; Cattle; Fasciola hepatica; Fasciola hepatica - immunology; Fasciola hepatica - isolation & purification; Goat; Goat Diseases - parasitology; Goats; Immune response; Immune system; Immunoglobulin M - analysis; Interferon-gamma - analysis; Interleukin-4 - analysis; Liver - immunology; Liver - parasitology; Lymph Nodes - immunology; Lymph Nodes - parasitology; Rodents; Schistosoma mansoni; Sm14; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - parasitology; Trematoda; Vaccines; Veterinary medicine; United Kingdom > UK; Fasciola hepatica; Goat; Sm14; Immune response
• ISSN: 0034-5288; 1532-2661
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2009.02.013

The nature of the local immune response was assessed studying the distribution of CD2+, CD4+, CD8+, γδ+ T lymphocytes, IgM+ B cells, IL-4+ and IFN-γ+ cells in the liver and hepatic lymph nodes (HLN) of goats immunised with a synthetic peptide of the Sm14 antigen from Schistosoma mansoni and challenged with Fasciola hepatica. A morphometric study of HLN was also carried out in order to evaluate the hyperplasia of lymphoid follicles. Despite the decrease in fluke burdens found in the immunised group (45.9%) respect to the infected control group, this difference was not statistically significant due to the high individual variability. In liver, a significant increase of CD2+, CD4+, CD8+, γδ+ T lymphocytes was found in the infected groups respect to the uninfected control and in the infected control respect to the immunised group. HLN showed a significant enlargement due to the hyperplasia of lymphoid follicles and infiltration of CD2+, CD4+, CD8+, γδ+ T lymphocytes in both infected groups respect to the uninfected control, with no significant differences between the infected control and immunised group. IFN-γ+ lymphoid cells was absent or very occasional in HLN where the number of IL-4+ cells was higher than that of IFN-γ, suggesting a polarized Th2 response in immunised and in infected control group.