Granulomatous response in selective IgE-deficient SJA/9 mice infected with Schistosoma japonicum.

Granulomatous response was examined in selective IgE-deficient SJA/9 mice infected with Schistosoma japonicum. The average size of granulomas formed around newly deposited eggs in SJA/9 mice was significantly smaller than that in control C57BL/6 or SJL/J mice, although the numbers of adult worms recovered from each strain were comparable among them. Thus, IgE antibody specific to allergenic components of S. japonicum eggs seems to act as an amplifier for the formation of granulomatous lesions.