Studies on the Immunology of Schistosomiasis by Vaccination and Passive Transfer

Immunity against schistosomiasis has been experimentally demonstrated in laboratory animals and many studies have been made on related serological reactions. However, the relationships of these reactions to immunity and resistance are not very well defined, nor is the antibody mechanism of immunity against the schistosomes clearly understood. A review of the literature on this subject has recently been published by Kagan (1958). In this study two experiments were performed: Vaccination of mice with metabolic-product antigens of the life cycle stages of Schistosoma mansoni, and passivetransfer with serum from animals infected with Schistosomatium douthitti. Groups of mice were inoculated with soluble antigens prepared by incubating stages of the life cycle of S. mansoni in water, and then exposed to infection with S. mansoni. By comparing the longevity of inoculated mice with control mice, the value of the inoculum and its effect on the resistance of the host to infection were determined.