This study was carried out to determine whether dermal mast cell responses to Paragonimus westermani in an abnormal host, the mouse, were dependent on the site of metacercarial inoculation. In mice during subcutaneous infection, the number of dermal mast cells were increased significantly (p < 0.05) at the first week (38.3/mm2) and then persisted at a high level until the sixth week (45.2/mm2) of infection compared with PBS-injected (control) mice (range: 19.4-25.1/mm2). In mice during oral infection, the number of dermal mast cells were increased significantly (p < 0.05) at two weeks (33.5/mm2) after infection and remained at these levels thereafter compared with non-infected (control) mice (range: 17.4-22.3/mm2). In mice both during subcutaneous and oral infection, the recruited dermal mast cells showed extensive degranulation at the second week (68.4% and 60.7%, respectively), reached a peak at the third week (81.4%, and 92.1%, respectively) and then declined slightly thereafter. By contrast, in both control mice, about 10% of dermal mast cells were degranulated. In conclusion, this study suggests that dermal mast cell responses to P. westermani in mice are dependent on cutaneous sensitization by larval excretory-secretory antigens, irrespective of infection route.
