Induction of cellular and humoral immunological responsiveness to a soluble cercarial antigen preparation from Schistosoma mansoni.

The development of immunological responsiveness to a soluble cercarial antigenic preparation (CAP) from Schistosoma mansoni was analyzed in inbred CBA/J mice infected with cercariae, one or multiple times, or sensitized using CAP. Repeated exposure to 75 cercariae at three weekly intervals (3X-75) or subcutaneous administration of 20 mug of CAP (CAP/complete Freund adjuvant [CFA]) stimulated the development of specific anti-CAP lymph node cell blastogenesis. The degree of responsiveness was dependent upon the concentration of CAP in the culture system and was optimal in the dose range of 20 to 30 mug of protein of CAP per culture. Animals exposed once to 75 or 225 cercariae or to two sequential weekly infections with 75 cercariae exhibited a minimal response to CAP in comparison to the responsiveness of 3X-75 or CAP/CFA lymph node cells. Assessment of anti-CAP agglutinating antibody by application of a microtiter passive hemagglutination technique revealed that both 3X-75 and CAP/CFA animals possessed low titers of activity. In addition, both 3X-75 and CAP/CFA sera contained reagin-like antibodies to CAP as detected by the heterologous (rat), 72-h latent period, passive cutaneous anaphylaxis technique.