In vitro effect of the lethal antibody on schistosomula in sera of rhesus monkeys immunized with highly x-irradiated cercariae.

The in vitro effect of the lethal antibody on schistosomula in sera of rhesus monkeys immunized with highly X-irradiated cercariae of Schistosoma mansoni or S. japonicum was studied. In all 6 experimental monkeys, 4 unchallenged and 2 challenged, the effects of lethal antibody on schistosomula were demonstrated. The sera of the challenged monkeys had no stronger lethal effect than those of the unchallenged monkeys. This shows that the lethal antibody can be produced by the antigenic stimulation of schistosomula alone. The mortality rates of schistosomula in immune sera were already high at day 1, increased to a certain extent from day 1 to day 4, but showed no significant further increase in days 5 and 6. Two kinds of immunological reactions were observed: perischistosomular precipitate (PSP) and perischistosomular envelope (PSE). Schistosomula surrounded with PSP were usually dying or dead and those enclosed in PSE were usually alive and motile. Thus PSP may be related with the lethal antibody and PSE with a kind of enhancing antibody. Schistosomula with PSP showed a positive fluorescent reaction when stained with fluorescein-labeled rabbit anti-rhesus IgG. Scanning electron micrographs of schistosomula with PSP showed a highly degenerated tegument. These facts indicate that the antibody in PSP contains a fraction of IgG which acts on the tegument of schistosomula.