FIG. 5.

Total and specific IgE levels in BAL fluid after single or multiple S. venezuelensis infection of rats. (A) Concentration of total IgE in BAL fluid before and at 2, 5, 7, and 12 days after the single infection or the last infection of the multiple-infection rats. Each data point represents the means ± standard errors of the means of five rats in each group. The experiment was repeated three times with similar results. An asterisk indicates a P value of <0.05 compared to that of uninfected controls. (B) Titer of parasite-specific IgE in BAL fluid before and at 2, 5, 7, and 12 days after the single infection or the last infection of the multiple-infection rats. Each data point represents the value of one individual animal, and the line represents the median titer obtained at the same day of infection. (C) Proteins from S. venezu-elensis adult worm antigen (line I) and larvae antigen (line II) recognized by IgE from BAL fluid of 5-day multiple-infection rats. Parasite antigens were electrophoretically separated, transferred to nitrocellulose membrane, incubated with BAL fluid of infected rats, and developed with anti-rat IgE antibody, as detailed in Materials and Methods.