Sex differences in systemic and local immune responses to Entamoeba histolytica after intraperitoneal and rectal immunization in Balb/c mice.

The antibody responses against Entamoeba histolytica in Peyer's patches and spleen after rectal, intraperitoneal and intragastric immunization with glutaraldehyde-fixed amebas (GFA) was compared between male and female mice by the use of a spot forming cell (SFC) assay. We found that female mice elicit significant higher anti-amebic SFC responses than male mice, in both spleen and Peyer's patches after rectal and intraperitoneal stimulation, whereas by intragastric route females show higher responses than males in spleen but not in Peyer's patches.