McKechnie N M, Braun G, Kläger S, Connor V, Kasp E, Wallace G, Whiston R
Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, U.K.
Ann Trop Med Parasitol. 1993 Dec;87(6):649-52. doi: 10.1080/00034983.1993.11812824.
The ocular disease associated with infection with Onchocerca volvulus is unique in that there is a wealth of epidemiological evidence to support the casual nature of the association but there is little known about the pathogenic mechanisms involved. We have identified a 44,000 M(r) component of ocular tissues that shows immunological cross-reactivity with an O. volvulus antigen. This immunological cross-reactivity between parasite and a component of host tissues may underlie the development of ocular disease in onchocerciasis. Preliminary experiments indicate that it is possible to initiate ocular disease in susceptible rats using the recombinant parasite antigen. This should allow the development of a laboratory model of ocular onchocerciasis and further our understanding of the mechanisms by which an infective organism can produce an auto-immune-like disease in the host.
与盘尾丝虫感染相关的眼部疾病具有独特性，即有大量流行病学证据支持这种关联的因果性质，但对于其中涉及的致病机制却知之甚少。我们已鉴定出眼部组织中一种分子量为44,000的成分，它与盘尾丝虫抗原呈现免疫交叉反应。寄生虫与宿主组织成分之间的这种免疫交叉反应可能是盘尾丝虫病中眼部疾病发生的基础。初步实验表明，使用重组寄生虫抗原在易感大鼠中引发眼部疾病是可能的。这将有助于建立眼部盘尾丝虫病的实验室模型，并加深我们对感染性生物体如何在宿主体内产生类似自身免疫性疾病机制的理解。
