A histocompatibility barrier to immunization against East Coast fever using Theileria parva-infected lymphoblastoid cell lines.

Histocompatibility may be a barrier to the infection of cattle when Theileria parva parva-infected tissues or in vitro cultured macroschizont-infected lymphoblastoid cell lines are used for immunization. By inoculating 10(3) and 10(5) infected cells into autologous recipients infection was achieved and immunity engendered. Cell lines inoculated into BoLA matched recipients did not produce patent infections but some recipients developed antibodies to the parasite and 3/5 were immune to challenge. No evidence of infection or immunity was found in BoLA half matched or mismatched cattle. This result suggests that there is an histocompatibility barrier to infection using T. p. parva-infected lymphoblastoid cells.