Despite being central to parasite establishment and subsequent host pathological and immunologic responses, host-parasite interactions during early third-stage filarial larva (L3) migration are poorly understood. These studies aimed to define early tissue migration of Brugia pahangi L3 in the gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) and measure host cellular responses during this period. Gerbils were intradermally inoculated in the hind limb with 100 B. pahangi L3, and necropsies were performed at various times. At 3 h, most L3 (96.3%) were recovered from tissues associated with the infection site, with marked L3 migration occurring by 24 h. Larvae were dispersed throughout the lymphatics at 7 days postinfection (dpi), and at 28 dpi, most parasites were recovered from the spermatic cord lymphatics. Parasites were identified histologically at all time points. Inflammatory cells, primarily neutrophils, were frequently observed around larvae in the dermis and muscle near the injection site at 3 h and 24 h. Levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-␣ mRNA peaked at 3 h in all tissues, with IL-6 levels also high in the spleen at 28 dpi. Levels of IL-4 mRNA were elevated in all tissues at 28 dpi. These observations demonstrate that L3 migrate quickly through various tissues and into lymph nodes in a predictable pattern. Migrating L3 induce an early acute inflammatory response that is modulated as parasites establish in the lymphatics. Polarization of the host response towards a dominant Th2-like profile is present at 7 dpi and is well established by 28 dpi in this permissive host.It is generally accepted that third-stage filarial nematode infective larvae (L3) emerge from the mosquito labia during feeding, accumulate in a pool of hemolymph, and enter the host through the wound left by the mosquito vector (13). While the L3 are apparently unable to penetrate intact skin, their early migrations require movements through the connective tissues of the skin to lymphatic vessels and, in some cases, the blood vascular system. These events have been demonstrated experimentally by feeding Brugia-infected mosquitoes on cats (14, 17) and gerbils (3) and by in vivo studies involving the application of L3 to punctured skin (14). Furthermore, previous studies by Ah et al. (1) have clearly shown that L3 can actively and rapidly migrate through a variety of complex tissues following placement on the surface of the gerbil eyeball. The mechanisms utilized by the larvae during this early migratory phase through these various tissues have not been defined.Early migrations of L3 through the tissues of the skin not only are central to the successful establishment of parasites but are also likely to be important in the initial induction of the host response. It is expected that these responses are involved in the elimination or inhibition of incoming L3 during early migrations. The migration of L3 into the skin may also be uniquely involved in defining the nature of subsequent immune responses to parasite antigens. Based on various in ...