Aqueous Humor and Serum IgE Antibody in Experimental Ocular Onchocerca Infection of Guinea Pigs

Abstract

Infection of inbred Strain 2 guinea pigs by subcutaneous or intradermal injection of fresh or cryopreserved living Onchocerca lienalis microfilariae, followed by a challenge intracorneal infection of microfilariae, resulted in serum and aqueous IgE antibody and in significant corneal inflammation. Systemic or intraocular infections given separately were not sufficient to elicit IgE antibody or ocular inflammation. When intravenous transfer of pooled spleen cell suspensions from systemically infected donors to normal syngeneic recipients was substituted for the course of systemic infections, a subsequent intracorneal challenge of cell transfer recipients with microfilariae produced serum and aqueous IgE antibody. Administration of diethylcarbamazine citrate to infected animals following the intracorneal challenge resulted in increased serum IgE antibody and in increased corneal inflammation.

Effect of Diethylcarbamazine Citrate and Anti-Inflammatory Drugs on Experimental Onchocercal Punctate Keratitis

“…In previous studies, administration of DEC-C to guinea pigs injected intracorneally with O. lienalis Mf increased the severity of the ocu lar lesions, and also increased their IgE anti body responses [9,10]. In the present study DEC-C was given after subconjunctivally in jected Mf had penetrated the central corneal stroma.…”

“…Microfilariae (Mf) of O. lienalis were obtained from the umbilical skin of cattle and cryopreserved as previously described [9,10]. Cryopreserved Mf were thawed in Hanks' balanced salt solution (HBSS) with 20% fetal bovine serum (FBS), and washed 3 times in HBSS without FBS, containing penicillin (100 U/ml), streptomycin (100 pg/ml) and amphotericin B (4.5 pg/ml).…”

Pathogenesis of Onchocercal Keratitis (River Blindness)

“…Several studies have independently demonstrated a requirement for antigen-specific T cells in the development of onchocercal keratitis. Donnelly et al showed that guinea pigs develop ocular disease characterized by limbitis, corneal inflammation, and peripheral corneal neovascularization after intracorneal inoculation of the cattle parasite O. lienalis (16,17). These workers clearly demonstrated that the inflammatory response and the severity of keratitis is greatly exacerbated if the animals are sensitized prior to ocular challenge, thereby implying a role for specific immunity.…”

Periodic ophthalmia (recurrent uveitis) of horses: An evaluation of the aetiological role of microfilariae of Onchocerca cervicalis and the clinical management of the condition

“…The concurrent death of many microfilariae during diethylcarbazamine treatment may liberate greater quantities of soluble antigens than would be released during the normal turnover of microfilariae. This is supported by the 30 to 100 per cent increase in circulating immune complexes occurring during diethylcarbamazine treatment of humans with onchocerciasis, and by the increased aqueous and serum antibody following treatment of guinea pigs experimentally infected with 0 lienalis microfilariae (Donnelly, Rockey, Bianco and Soulsby 1983).…”