A comparison of regional and systemic humoral immune responses to a nematode infection.

The kinetics of humoral immune response against Trichinella spiralis (TS) was characterized with immunofluorescence assay. The mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) and the spleen of infected rats were examined for concurrent expression of multiple antibody (Ab) isotypes from day 1 to day 15 after infection. The tissues were processed and stained with either a pan-B cell marker (OX33) conjugated with rhodamine (XRITC) or combinations of dual monoclonal Ab probes plus A secondary Ab conjugated with XRITC or fluorescein (FITC).

Rapidity and multiplicity of synthesis and expression of immunoglobulin isotypes by B lymphocytes in the small intestine.

An immunofluorescence double labeling assay was used to examine the kinetics of intestinal B lymphocytes with concurrent expression of multiple antibody isotypes in the mucosal tissues of rats infected with Trichinella spiralis (TS) muscle larvae for 1 to 15 days. As compared to the uninfected controls (day 0), the non-Peyer's patch tissues of the small intestine contained a significantly increased number of dual antibody-expressing B cells as early as 3 days after infection with a maximum proliferation of these B cells on days 7 and 10. These results indicate the rapidity of B cell response in the small intestine.