Antibody suppression in mice infected with Nippostrongylus brasiliensis

Summary A/SN mice infected with N. brasiliensis showed depressed anti-DNP antibody responses following immunization with DNP-Asc in alum. The immunosuppression was only observed when infection preceded immunization by between 2 and 7 days, and was not achieved when the interval was extended to 10 days. The suppression lasted at least 50 days, and affected IgE levels more than IgGl or IgG agglutinating anti-DNP antibodies. A high dose of infective larvae (500–1000 per mouse) was necessary to induce suppression. Use of low dose irradiation indicated a parasite-induced radiosensitive component of the mouse immune system which negatively regulated the anti-DNP IgE response. These results suggested that the parasite could induce suppression in an analogous manner to sequential antigen-induced suppression (AIS).