IgE responses of Wistar rats to Schistosoma mansoni infections.

Using the Wistar rat as experimental animal for Schistosoma mansoni infections it was shown that reaginic antibody response to S. mansoni antigens depends on the infection dose in a way that low infection doses induce persistent titres whereas high doses provoke transient titres. Repeated infections strongly favoured the reagins. In contrast, total serum IgE levels measured by ELISA followed a rather constant time course, independent from the mode of infection. Antigen-specific IgE antibodies followed none of the time courses and reached maximum levels about 12-15 weeks post infectionem. The data allow to suppose that different types of IgE occurred possessing different capacities to sensitize mast cells.