Studies on the possiblilty of production of immunity against schistosomiasis in experimental animals.

In the present work antigenization with somatic and metabolic antigens of adult Schistosoma mansoni worms, their cercariae or eggs has been tried. The study of the immunoglobulin patterns in infected and vaccinated non infected mice showed increase in IgG in all animals, increase in IgM only in the infected and IgA was frequently increased in mice that received metabolic or egg antigens. As regards the degree of resistance of vaccinated animals to S. mansoni infection, 2 groups gave prominent results. 1st the group vaccinated with Schistosoma mansonmetabolic worm antigen in which we got: -- Reduction in the worm load. -- Delayed ovulation and reduction in the number of ova/24 hr stools and/g of liver tissue. -- The histopathological picture of the liver was the best. 2nd the group vaccinated with egg antigen: Although it showed delayed ovulation and reduction in the ova count per 4 hr stools and/g liver tissue, yet the histopathological picture was the worst showing the largest granulomata.