Host defenses in murine malaria: evaluation of the mechanisms of immunity to Plasmodium yoelii infection.

The immune response of random-bred mice to infection with a relatively avirulent strain of Plasmodium yoelii was measured in terms of parasitemia, splenomegaly, immediate and delayed hypersensitivity to a P. yoelii antigen preparation, resistance to challenge with a virulent variant of P. yoelii, and nonspecific resistance to L. monocytogenes. Avirulent P. yoelii produced a self limiting infection which resolved in 21 days. Peak parasitemia and splenomegaly were observed at 14 days, and infected mice were resistant to challenge with virulent P. yoelii from 7 days through at least 126 days. Mice infected with avirulent P. yoelii developed humoral immunity as judged by immediate hypersensitivity reactions and the capacity of their serum to passively protect normal mice against virulent P. yoelii. At no time did mice infected with the avirulent P. yoelii display evidence of cell-mediated immunity, as expressed by delayed-type hypersensitivity and increased resistance to L. monocytogenes. In fact, at the height of avirulent P. yoelii infection there was decreased resistance to L. monocytogenes in both liver and spleen, and the macrophages of the undisturbed peritoneal cavity were similarly defective. It was concluded that the defense mechanism of mice against P. yoelii is mediated by humoral factors in the absence of demonstrable cell-mediated immunity.