Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Protection of mice against Babesia, and Plasmodium with BCG

Abstract

Babesia spp. are haemoprotozoans, and some cause diseases of considerable economic importance in cattle. Complete protection against challenge has been recorded only in animals recovered from artificial1 or natural infections with a virulent strain of the organism. We have achieved the same result with B.microti and B.rodhaini, two of the species which parasitise mice, by previous infection with Mycobacterium bovis strain BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guerin). Evidence is provided that neither antibody specific for surface antigens of the parasites nor increased phagocytic capacity is responsible for this protection. We suggest that BCG protects by increasing the release of non-antibody soluble mediators of immunity postulated to cause the death of B.microti inside red cells2. Preliminary observations on protection against Plasmodium berghei yoelii and P.vinckei are also presented.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Callow, L. L., and Mellors, L. T., Aust. vet. J., 42, 464–465 (1966).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Clark, I. A., Richmond, J. E., Wills, E. J., and Allison, A. C., Lancet, ii, 1128–1129 (1975).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Mahoney, D.F., Expl Parasit., 20, 125–129 (1967).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Phillips, R. S., Parasitology, 59, 357–364 (1969).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Roberts, J. A., Aust. J. exp. Biol. med. Sci., 46, 807–808 (1968).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Mitchell, G. H., Butcher, G. A., and Cohen, S., Nature, 252, 311–313 (1974).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Levy, M. H., and Wheelock, E. F., J. Immun., 115, 41–48 (1975).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Freund, J., Thomas, K. J., Sommer, H. E., Walter, A. W., and Pisani, T. M., Am. J. trap. Med., 28, 1–22 (1948).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Brown, K. N., Brown, I. N., and Hills, L., Expl Parasit., 28, 304–317 (1970).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Hoff, R., J. exp. Med., 142, 299–311 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Frenkel, J. K., and Caldwell, S. A., J. Infect. Dis., 131, 201–209 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Tabbera, K. F., O'Connor, G. R., and Nozik, R. A., Am. J. Ophthalm., 79, 641–647 (1975).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Ortiz-Ortiz, L., Gonzalez-Mendoza, A., and Lamoyi, E., J. Immun., 114, 1424–1425 (1975).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Old, L. J., Clarke, D. A., and Benacerraf, B., Nature, 184, 294 (1959).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. Bluming, A. Z., Vogel, C. L., Ziegler, J. L., Mody, N., and Kamya, G., Ann. int. Med., 76, 405–411 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Nakamura, M., and Cross, W. R., Infect. Immun., 6, 1025–1027 (1972).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  17. Larson, C. L., Ushijima, R. N., Karim, R., Baker, M. B., and Baker, R. E., Infect. Immun., 6, 465–468 (1972).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Miller, T. E., Mackaness, G. B., and Lagrange, P. H., J. natn. Cancer Inst., 51, 1669–1676 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Biozzi, G. C., Stiffel, B. N., and Mouton, D., Rev. fr. Etud. clin. Biol., 5, 876–890 (1960).

    Google Scholar 

  20. Blanden, R. V., Lefford, M. J., and Mackaness, G. B., J. exp. Med., 129, 1079–1106 (1969).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Wolf, R. E., Clin. Immun. Immunopath., 2, 381–394 (1974).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Clark, I. A., and Allison, A. C., Nature, 252, 328–329 (1974).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Mahoney, D. F., Expl Parasit., 20, 119–124 (1967).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Ludford, C. G., thesis, Univ. Queensland (1967).

  25. Roberts, T. A., Aust. J. exp. Biol. med. Sci., 46, 807–808 (1968).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Jayawardena, A. N., et. al., Nature, 258, 149–151 (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Borgess, J. S., and Johnson, W. D., J. exp. Med., 141, 483–496 (1975).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Godal, T., Rees, R. J. W., and Lamvik, J. O., Clin. exp. Immun., 8, 625–637 (1971).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Salvin, S. B., Youngner, J. S., and Lederer, W. H., Infect. Immunity, 7, 68–75 (1973).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Salvin, S. B., Ribi, E., Granger, D. L., and Youngner, J. S., J. Immun., 114, 354–359 (1975).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Salvin, S. B., Nishio, J., and Shonnard, J. T., Infect. Immun., 9, 631–635 (1974).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  32. Mackaness, G. B., J. exp. Med., 120, 105–120 (1964).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Mackaness, G. B., Am. Rev. resp. Dis., 97, 337–344 (1968).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Huang, K-Y., Schultz, W. W., and Gordon, F. B., Science, 162, 123–124 (1968).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Jahiel, R. I., Vilcek, J., Nussenzweig, R., and Vanderberg, J., Science, 161, 802–804 (1968).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Schultz, W. W., Huang, K-Y., and Gordon, F. B., Nature, 220, 709–710 (1968).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

CLARK, I., ALLISON, A. & Cox, F. Protection of mice against Babesia, and Plasmodium with BCG. Nature 259, 309–311 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1038/259309a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/259309a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing