The influence of the H-2 complex on responses to infection by Schistosoma mansoni in mice.

In order to determine whether a given H-2 haplotype has similar effects on responses to schistosomiasis mansoni on different genetic backgrounds, mice of 2 pairs of congenic strains (H-2b and H-2k on BALB/c and C57BL/10 backgrounds) were infected. Worm burdens, mortality, splenomegaly, tissue and faecal egg counts, and antibody titres to worm and egg antigens were measured. The genetic background had a major effect on the genesis of splenomegaly, on the deposition of eggs in the spleen, the maximum faecal egg count, the antibody titre to egg and worm antigens and the rate of generation of antibody response. The H-2 haplotype was shown to consistently influence the maximum faecal egg count and the antibody titres. Worm burden was not influenced by genetic differences between strains and mortality differences were not significant. The data presented here indicate that the effect of the major histocompatibility complex on responses to infection is greatly influenced by the genetic background on which it is expressed.