THE MECHANISM OF ACQUIRED IMMUNITY IN INFECTIONS WITH PARASITIC WORMS

Abstract

"All evidence indicates that the humoral and cellular mechanisms operative in acquired immunity against helminths are fundamentally identical with those operative against other infectious and noninfectious antigenic agents." Hence, the worms can be utilized as material in general studies, and their large size makes them peculiarly adapted to such work. This is a selective, rather than an exhaustive, review. The author surveys in considerable detail the facts that have been established concerning acquired immunity against Taenia, Echinococcus, Nippostrongylus, Ancylostoma, and Trichi-nella, and discusses current opinions of these facts. He reviews in a brief general way the methods of demonstrating immunity against helminths; natural immunity; and non-specific factors, such as age, diet, and sex, which influence resistance to worm infestation. He omits studies that merely demonstrate acquired immunity, and all other immunological data.