| Summary: | Trichobilharzia regenti belongs to a small group of parasitic helminthes localized in nervous tissue of their hosts. Like in other bird schistosomes, repeated penetration of larvae (cercariae) into the skin lead to development of skin allergic reaction in humans (cercarial dermatitis). Soon after the penetration in the skin, cercariae transform to schistosomula which are able to resist the host response and, in case of T. regenti, migrate to central nervous system (CNS). During CNS involvement, the infections of both specific avian and non-specific mammalian hosts can result in neuromotor disorders and even death of the host. The present PhD thesis deals with T. regenti infections of non-specific mammalian host. The first part of the experimental work was focused on antibody reactivity and antigen specificity of sera from mice experimentally infected with T. regenti. Development of antigen-specific IgM and IgG1 antibodies and elevated levels of total serum IgE indicated a Th2 immune response. Cercarial antigens stimulated IL-4 release from basophiles obtained from healthy volunteers. Western blot analysis revealed that IgG and IgE antibodies in the sera specifically recognized antigen of 34 kDa in both homogenate of cercariae and cercarial excretory/secretory products. This molecule seems to represent major...
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