Immunological relationships during primary infection withHeligmosomoides polygyrus(Nematospiroides dubius): H-2 linked genes determine worm survival

Abstract

The course of primary infection was studied in BALB and B10 H-2 congenic mouse strains. The duration of infection, as assessed with regular faecal egg counts and worm burdens, was shorter in mice carrying the H-2s, H-2dor H-2qhaplotypes when compared to mice with H-2b. Strains with H-2kwere intermediate. An experiment was carried out to test the hypothesis proposed by Wassom, Krco & David (1987) predicting that the progeny of I–E+vemouse strains crossed with I–E-vestrains, would show susceptibility rather than resistance to infection. This hypothesis was not substantiated by our data and we conclude that it does not apply to primary infections withHeligmosomoides polygyrus. It is proposed that the gene products of at least two loci within the H-2 (associated with the H-2band H-2khaplotypes) are crucial in determining the response phenotype of mice to primary infection withH. polygyrus. One allele, (associated with the H-2bhaplotype) may be preferentially affected by parasite-mediated immunosuppression.