The antibody repertoire in infection and vaccination with Dictyocaulus viviparus: heterogeneity in infected cattle and genetic control in guinea pigs

The antigen recognition profiles of serum antibody from calves infected or vaccinated with irradiated Dictyocaulus viviparus larvae were analysed by immunoprecipitation of radio-iodinated in vitro-released excretory-secretory materials from live adult parasites. Immunoprecipitates were analysed by SDS-PAGE and considerable heterogeneity in antigen recognition between individual animals was observed, regardless of infection regimen. This heterogeneity was also found to occur amongst outbred guinea pigs infected with the parasite and permitted an examination of the genetics of the effect using inbred guinea pigs (Strains 2 and 13). The antibody repertoires of the two strains were distinct, with only slight variation occurring between individuals within a strain. Previous work on nematode infections in rodents has demonstrated a role for the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) in the control of the immune repertoire. If this, as is probable, holds for the guinea pig, then it can be ascribed to the MHC Class II region because Strain 2 and Strain 13 bear identical Class I alleles but disparate Class II alleles. Whilst there is no evidence to date that the efficiency of vaccination of cattle is influenced by genetic factors, the operation of vaccines based on a single or a few molecularly cloned parasite antigens might be seriously compromised by the kind of genetic restriction to the immune repertoire described here