Immunodepression in mice infected with Toxoplasma gondii

Abstract

Mice infected with Toxoplasma gondii had depressed levels of hemagglutinins, hemolysins, and spleen plaque forming cells to sheep erythrocytes from 1 week to 1 month iollowing the inoculation of 150 or 200 cysts of T. gondii. This immunodepression, mostly in reduced IgM antibodies, corresponded with the period of maximum increase in spleen size and Toxoplasma antibodies and is believed to be due to antigenic competition.