The primary humoral immune response of European green lizards (Lacerta viridis) to Leishmania agamae

Abstract

European green lizards, L. viridis, produced relatively thermostable, dithiothreitol-sensitive, non-precipitating, agglutinins and complement-fixing antibodies (CFA) to L. agamae administered s.c., i.p. or orally (OR). Antibodies were also detected by the immobilization test (IMM) and by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The most sensitive method for the detection of stimulated Ig was ELISA. Antibodies were detected as early as 3 days post-infection with ELISA and between 5 and 7 days for CFA, direct agglutination (DA) and indirect hemagglutination (IHA). In the case of IMM, the times of 1st detection varied from 14-28 days. Maximum CFA (2-8), DA (2-8), IHA (2-11) and ELISA (2-16) titers were reached from 42 to 49 days with significantly higher values occurring in the OR and i.p. groups. With IMM, maxima occurred after 5-6 wk. Following exposure, 2- to 5-fold significant increases in serum lysozyme levels were demonstrated, but the concentrations in sera following s.c., i.p. or OR routes of antigen administration were not significantly different when the groups were compared with each other. The highest lysozyme values (.apprx. 12.3-12.5 .mu.g ml-1) were found in the s.c. and OR groups when compared to the i.p. (7.40 .mu.g ml-1).