Skip to main content
PMC home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1980 Mar;27(3):832–836. doi: 10.1128/iai.27.3.832-836.1980

Hemolytic complement and serum C3 levels in Zebu cattle infected with Trypanosoma congolense and Trypanosoma vivax and the effect of trypanocidal treatment.

F R Rurangirwa, H Tabel, G Losos, I R Tizard
PMCID: PMC550847  PMID: 7380555

Abstract

Total hemolytic complement and C3 levels were found to drop to 6.25% and 50% of preinfection levels, respectively, during trypanosome infections. Chemotherapeutic elimination of the trypanosomes with Berenil led to recovery of preinfection levels within 7 days and 11 days when cattle infected with Trypanosome congolense and Trypanosoma vivax, respectively, were treated 37 days after onset of infection. Recovery was slower in T. vivax-infected cattle treated on day 50. Berenil treatment had no effect on complement levels in control animals. The possible causes and implications of these low complement levels in bovine trypanosomiasis are discussed.

Full text

PDF
835

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Allison A. C. Mechanisms by which activated macrophages inhibit lymphocyte responses. Immunol Rev. 1978;40:3–27. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-065x.1978.tb00399.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Barta O., Barta V. Haemolytic assay of bovine serum complement. J Immunol Methods. 1972 Aug;1(4):363–374. doi: 10.1016/0022-1759(72)90029-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. FAHEY J. L., MCKELVEY E. M. QUANTITATIVE DETERMINATION OF SERUM IMMUNOGLOBULINS IN ANTIBODY-AGAR PLATES. J Immunol. 1965 Jan;94:84–90. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Greenwood B. M., Whittle H. C. Complement activation in patients with Gambian sleeping sickness. Clin Exp Immunol. 1976 Apr;24(1):133–138. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Holmes P. H., Mammo E., Thomson A., Knight P. A., Lucken R., Murray P. K., Murray M., Jennings F. W., Urquhart G. M. Immunosuppression in bovine trypanosomiasis. Vet Rec. 1974 Jul 27;95(4):86–87. doi: 10.1136/vr.95.4.86. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Jarvinen J. A., Dalmasso A. P. Complement in experimental Trypanosoma lewisi infection of rats. Infect Immun. 1976 Oct;14(4):894–902. doi: 10.1128/iai.14.4.894-902.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Kobayashi A., Tizard I. R. The response to Trypanosoma congolense infection in calves. Determination of immunoglobulins igG1, igG2, igM and C3 levels and the complement fixing antibody titres during the course of infection. Tropenmed Parasitol. 1976 Dec;27(4):411–417. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Musoke A. J., Barbet A. F. Activation of complement by variant-specific surface antigen of trypanosoma brucei. Nature. 1977 Dec 1;270(5636):438–440. doi: 10.1038/270438a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Nagle R. B., Ward P. A., Lindsley H. B., Sadun E. H., Johnson A. J., Berkaw R. E., Hildebrandt P. K. Experimental infections with African Trypanosomes. VI. Glomerulonephritis involving the alternate pathway of complement activation. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1974 Jan;23(1):15–26. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Nielsen K., Sheppard J. Activation of complement by trypanosomes. Experientia. 1977 Jun 15;33(6):769–771. doi: 10.1007/BF01944182. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Nielsen K., Sheppard J., Holmes W., Tizard I. Experimental bovine trypanosomiasis. Changes in serum immunoglobulins, complement and complement components in infected animals. Immunology. 1978 Nov;35(5):817–826. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Nielsen K., Sheppard J., Holmes W., Tizard I. Increased susceptibility of Trypanosoma lewisi infected, or decomplemented rats to Salmonella typhimurium. Experientia. 1978 Jan 15;34(1):118–119. doi: 10.1007/BF01921937. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Pepys M. B. Role of complement in the induction of immunological responses. Transplant Rev. 1976;32:93–120. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-065x.1976.tb00230.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Rurangirwa F. R., Tabel H., Losos G., Masiga W. N., Mwambu P. Immunosuppressive effect of Trypanosoma congolense and Trypanosoma vivax on the secondary immune response of cattle to Mycoplasma mycoides subsp mycoides. Res Vet Sci. 1978 Nov;25(3):395–397. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Scott J. M., Pegram R. G., Holmes P. H., Pay T. W., Knight P. A., Jennings F. W., Urquhart G. M. Immunosuppression in bovine trypanosomiasis: field studies using foot-and-mouth disease vaccine and clostridial vaccine. Trop Anim Health Prod. 1977 Aug;9(3):159–165. doi: 10.1007/BF02236590. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Whitelaw D. D., Scott J. M., Reid H. W., Holmes P. H., Jennings F. W., Urquhart G. M. Immunosuppression in bovine trypanosomiasis: studies with louping-ill vaccine. Res Vet Sci. 1979 Jan;26(1):102–107. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Woodruff A. W., Ziegler J. L., Hathaway A., Gwata T. Anaemia in African trypanosomiasis and 'big spleen disease' in Uganda. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1973;67(3):329–337. doi: 10.1016/0035-9203(73)90109-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES