Observations on crystals found in the intestine of Nematodirus battus during the development of immunity to this nematode in lambs.

Lambs which were given 60000 infective larvae of Nematodirus battus progressively threw off adult nematodes from day 20 onwards. Large, hexagonal crystals appeared in the intestine of the adult nematode at about this time and caused blockage of the intestinal-rectal or -cloacal junction. Lambs which were given 1000-2000 infective larvae did not throw off the infection, and adult nematodes from lambs which had been infected for up to 74 days did not contain these crystals. Chemical, histochemical and x-ray microanalysis tests on the crystals indicated that they are lipoprotein in composition. The crystals arise within the lumen of the nematode and appear to be associated with the development of immunity to this nematode in lambs.