Heligmosomoides polygyrus (=Nematospiroides dubius): the development of self-cure and/or protection in several strains of mice.

Strains of outbred (ICR/CD1 and S--W) and inbred (BALB/C and C57BL/6) mice vaccinated subcutaneously (SQ) with 500, 1,000, or 2,000 exsheathed Heligmosomoides polygyrus larvae developed varying levels of protection upon subsequent oral challenge with larvae. In contrast, the inbred C3H/HEJ strain failed to develop protection at any dosage level tested. ICR/CD1 mice vaccinated intraperitoneally with exsheathed larvae developed a high level of resistance but exhibited extensive adhesions of the viscera. When ensheathed larvae were used for vaccination, ICR/CD1 mice developed a moderate level of protection; but 1% of the vaccine dose was recovered in the intestine as adult stages. Both the inbred and outbred strains given multiple oral infections developed a protection response similar to that strain's response following parenteral vaccination. The specificity of this protection was demonstrated using various complex foreign antigens. In contrast, the self-cure response was observed only in the S--W strain.