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The nature of age immunity to Plasmodium berghei in the rat

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

M. E. Smalley
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical Pathology, Guy's Hospital Medical School, London SE1

Extract

The intensity of Plasmodium berghei infections decreases as the age of the rat host increases. The nature of this ‘age immunity’ was investigated. No experimental support was found for innate resistance involving either serum non-antibody factors or changes in the erythrocytes that inhibit parasites in older rats. A cross reacting immune response active against P. berghei was not found. Evidence is presented which shows that rats less than 7 weeks old lack at least part of the functional immunological apparatus by which older rats produce a protective immune response. It is suggested that the defect might involve T lymphocytes.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1975

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