Cats were repeatedly inoculated with infective larvae of Brugia pahangi. On parasitological grounds they could be divided into 5 groups. Group I – most cats (some 70%) became microfilaraemic (mf+) and retained high levels of microfilariae (mf) in their blood for over 2 years. In some Group I cats mf counts stabilized at high levels whilst in others mf counts continued to increase. Large numbers of fecund adult worms were recovered from their lymphatics. Adult counts were not made on the cats in the current experiments but over 100 adults have been recovered from ‘super-susceptible’ cats. Large amounts of B. pahangi adult antigen were consistently present in the serum of all Group I cats. About 30% of cats became amicrofilaraemic (mf–). In these cats the peak mf levels were seldom above 10000 mf/ml. Group II – these cats had less than 10 000 mf/ml and low antigen levels. After more than 1 year of being repeatedly infected B. pahangi adult antigen slowly declined and eventually could no longer be detected in their serum and the number of mf declined very slowly after the fall in antigen levels. This shows that in Group II cats the adult worms die and as the cats are resistant to the development of the continuing weekly inoculation of L3 no new adults can develop. Group III – these cats became mf – during the first year of infection but remained B. pahangi antigen-positive for many weeks after this and, at autopsy, had living adults in their lymphatics. Group IV – in these cats there was a sudden decline in the number of mf, usually in the first year and after they have received a relatively small number of re-infections. Circulating adult B. pahangi antigen disappeared from the serum within a short time of the loss of mf and at autopsy no adult female worms were found. Group V – these cats do not become mf+ when infected. These groups are compared to the parasitological groups seen in areas endemic for infection with Wuchereria bancrofti.

The detection of egg-derived antigens in the serum and urine of Schistosoma mansoni-infected individuals and experimental animals would provide an alternative method to assess the tissue egg burden. The detected levels are, however, not only a function of the amounts of antigen produced, but also of the processing or clearance by the host. In the present study the immunolocalization pattern of antigens using 2 recently described monoclonal antibodies to repetitive carbohydrate epitopes of S. mansoni soluble egg antigen (114–5B1–A and 114–4D12–A) in various organs of the host was investigated. In the liver strong immunoreactivity could be detected around the entrapped eggs and in egg-shells, as well as in Kupffer cells accumulating both antigen and schistosomal pigment. In the spleen, immunohistochemistry revealed antigen in the plasma as well as in secondary lysosomes of macrophages. Strong labelling was found in the vesicles of the eosinophilic granulocytes: indirect evidence perhaps for the presence of antigen–antibody complexes. In conclusion, the secreted egg antigens were sequestered in the reticulo-endothelial macrophages of the liver and the spleen as already partly described for worm-derived antigens. The presence of large quantities of antigenic material in the spleen could suggest an important role of this organ in the clearance of antigen and might even provide an additional explanation for the hepatosplenomegaly mainly present in S. mansoni-infected children.

Levels of 2 Schistosoma circulating antigens, the circulating anodic antigen (CAA) and the circulating cathodic antigen (CCA), were determined in serum samples collected, on a monthly basis over a period of 1·5 years, from 32 farm animals of different ages and from 12 tracer calves exposed to Schistosoma mattheei infection on a Zambian farm. Faecal egg counts were monitored in all animals and worm burdens in tracers determined after perfusion. Antigen determination tests in serum, with sensitivities between 95 and 100% in heifers and adult cows, proved to be excellent tools for the diagnosis of cattle schistosomiasis. Also in young calves, some infections could be demonstrated earlier by CCA determination than by faecal egg examination. A poor correlation was seen between the data for faecal egg counts and for CAA and CCA levels. It therefore appears that circulating antigen measurements in serum are of limited value as indicators of the pathogenesis of infection in cattle. Although all tracer calves were found infected at perfusion, large variations were recorded in antigen levels. An unexpected finding was the observation in farm animals of a clear seasonal pattern in CAA levels, with significant increase between August and October during the second half of the dry season, when animals are subjected to heavy physical and nutritional stress. It therefore appears that, although circulating antigen determination may provide an indication of the worm burden in ageing infections, possible variations of antigen clearance rate with the physiological condition of the host may complicate the interpretation of the results.