Trypanosoma brucei brucei infection in goats. Response of peripheral blood lymphocytes to mitogen stimulation.

The in vitro proliferative response of peripheral blood lymphocytes from Trypanosoma b. brucei infected goats to mitogens was studied during the course of infection. An inverse correlation was observed between the number of lymphocytes and their capacity to respond to concanavalin A, phytohemagglutinin and pokeweed mitogen. Lymphocyte responsiveness to mitogens was reduced during a period of increased lymphocyte counts. During this period of time only few trypanosomes were detectable in the peripheral blood. Later in the infection, when lymphocytes decreased, mitogen responsiveness and parasitemia increased.