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Efficacy of treatment of murine Schistosoma mansoni infections with praziquantel and oxamniquine correlates with infection intensity: role of host antibody

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

P. G. Fallon
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK
J. V. Hamilton
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK
M. J. Doenhoff
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK

Summary

The reduction in worm burden obtained by treatment of Schistosoma mansoni with praziquantel and oxamniquine was greater in mice with heavy infections than in relatively lightly infected animals. The reduction in worm burden achieved by each drug correlated with the size of the pre-treatment worm burden (r2 = 0·82 and 0·81 for praziquantel and oxamniquine, respectively). Intensity of infection did not affect the degree of tegumental damage and drug-induced antigen exposure on worms recovered soon after treatment with praziquantel. However, praziquantel-treated worms from mice with heavy infections had significantly more murine antibody attached to the treated-worm surface than worms from praziquantel-treated lightly infected mice. Heavily infected mice had greater levels of circulating anti-worm antibodies than lighter infected mice. The correlation between infection intensity and cure rates achieved by praziquantel and oxamniquine may thus be a reflection of the higher litres of relevant antibody in heavily infected mice mediating death of drug-treated worms.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

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