Influence of Nonspecific Immunomodulation with Thymic Preparations on the Result of Infection in some Experimental Parasitoses

Abstract

There are many facts confirming that a certain state of immunodeficiency exists in the most of parasite infections (Terry and Hudson 1982). This immunodeficiency is caused by various factors, one of which is the direct immunosuppressive influence of parasites and their products on the host organism (Crandall et al. 1978; Price and Turner 1986). On the other hand, the course of parasite infections in hosts immunosuppressed by various factors (particularly influencing the T-cell immunity) is usually heavier than in intact animals (Heine et al. 1984; Jacobson 1982). Numerous attempts were made to increase the resistance to parasite infections using various nonspecific immunomodulators (Cox 1978; Klesius 1982). Regarding to the decisive role of T-cell immunity in immune response to parasite infections, the thymic preparations (Kouttab 1987) seem to be a promising group of immunomodulators for the use in parasitology (Heřmánek and Prokopič 1989). In this study we investigated the possibility of thymic preparations to influence the resistance to model parasite infections (2 helminthoses — cysticercosis and ascaridosis and 2 protozooses — coccidiosis and cryptosporidiosis) in intact and immunosuppressed mice.