Cutaneous basophil-associated resistance to ectoparasites (ticks). I. Transfer with immune serum or immune cells.

Immune resistance experiments were carried out in guinea-pigs employing two tick species that as adults are ectoparasites of cattle (Ixodes holocyclus and Rhipicephalus appendiculatus). These studies showed that susceptibility of non-immune guinea-pigs to infestation with tick larvae varies according to the species of tick and the strain of guinea-pig. With both tick species, greater than 90% acquired resistance was achieved in several guinea-pig strains. Immune resistance was evident within a week following primary infestation and lasted up to 9 months following a single sensitizing exposure to tick feeding. The strength and duration of resistance was influenced strongly by the size of the initial sensitizing dose. Immune resistance was readily transferred to naive recipients by intravenous administration of either peritoneal exudate cells or immune serum from donors sensitized by a single prior infestation with ticks. Doses of serum as small as 0.5 ml transferred resistance. These studies demonstrate that both sensitized cells and immune serum factors contribute significantly to acquired host resistance to ticks that as adults are ectoparasites of cattle.