Brossard, Michel

2001, Mejri, Naceur, Franscini, Nicola, Rutti, Bernard, Brossard, Michel

BALB/c mice were infested with Ixodes ricinus larvae, nymphs or adults. Expression of IL-4 and IFN-γ mRNA in axillary and brachial draining lymph node cells were measured by competitive quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction 9 days after the beginning of primary-infestation. IL-4 mRNA was always higher than that of IFN-γ mRNA for all tick instars. Moreover, IL-4 mRNA expression progressively increased during nymphal primary-infestation with a high burst of expression 7 days after the beginning of infestation. No evolution of IFN-γ mRNA expression was detected. Draining lymph node cells of infested BALB/c produced higher level of IL-4 than IFN-γ following in vitro restimulation with adult tick saliva, salivary gland extract (SGE) or with five selected different chromatographic fractions of SGE. Anti-tick IgG1 antibodies but no IgG2a were detected in BALB/c pluri-infested with I. ricinus nymphs, which confirmed the Th2 polarization of the immune response.

1981, Brossard, Michel, Monneron, J.-P., Papatheodorou, V.

The sensitivity of rabbit basophils to antigens from Ixodes ricinus females has been studied by a degranulation test. Observations of basophil numbers and degranulation were made on the 6th day of each of four sequential infestations. Maximal degranulation of cells was observed after challenge of cells with antigen at a concentration of 10⁶ and 10⁷ pg/ml. At these concentrations, during a 1st infestation, 21.8 and 23.6% of cells degranulated. During a 2nd infestation, these percentages increased (34.8 and 33.8%) and reached 59.8 and 63.8% by the 4th infestation. A plasma factor which partially blocks basophil degranulation, is described. This was already present during the 1st infestation, since in its presence the percentage of degranulation was reduced by 2.8 and 4.0% respectively on challenge with 10⁶ and 10⁷ pg antigen/ml. Inhibition was maximal at the 4th infestation (difference: 16.5 and 20.5%). Basophil sensitization and inhibition of the degranulation are thus both progressive phenomena. After 10–15 infestations on four other rabbits, 75. 0 and 79. 8% degranulation was obtained. The inhibition of degranulation by plasma was also greater (difference: 25. 5 and 27. 4%). IgG specific anti-I. ricinus antibodies were identified by indirect immunofluorescence. In two animals, they were detected at the 6th day of the 1st infestation. Subsequently, they were generally present for all the animals.