Immune Response to <i>Trichomonas vaginalis</i>

Abstract

The immune response of patients with trichomoniasis vaginitis to <i>Trichomonas vaginalis</i> was examined by using passive hemagglutination assay and skin reactions. Trichomonas-specifîc immune responses could hardly be detected in the patients by these assay methods. In order to develop a simple and reliable assay for demonstration of <i>T. vaginalis</i>-specific immune responses in the patients, proliferation responses of peripheral mononuclear cells from the patients were examined. Lymphocytes obtained from the patients were shown to incorporate <sup>3</sup>H-methyl-thymidine when stimulated with <i>T. vaginalis</i> antigen in vitro. Furthermore, immunochemical analysis of <i>T. vaginalis</i> antigen has been done by Sephadex chromatography and sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. The data revealed that the murine and human IgM antibodies specifec to <i>T. vaginalis</i> recognize various antigens with a wide range of molecular weights (between 13,000 and 100,000 daltons), while human and murine IgG antibodies recognize molecules with a much narrower range of molecular weights (50,000–100,000 daltons).