Abstract

Naegleria fowleri is the cause of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis in man. IL-2 levels after stimulation of T lymphocytes by PHA or N. fowleri lysates, the amounts of T lymphocyte subsets and the blastogenic responses of T lymphocytes in mice after infected with pathogenic N. fowleri were studied comparing between two study groups, one 1 x 10(4) trophozoites inoculated mice and the other 1 x 10(5) trophozoites inoculated mice. All experimental samples were obtained on the day 7, 14 and 24 after inoculation. The mice inoculated with 1 x 10(4) trophozoites showed a 14.3% mortality rate, and 72.2% in the mice inoculated with 1 x 10(5) trophozoites. The IL-2 levels on day 14 of two experimental groups were significantly decreased as compared with the control group. Thy 1.2+ T cells in the total spleen lymphocytes of 1 x 10(5) trophozoites inoculated group on day 7 were significantly increased compared with the control group. There was no significant difference between 1 x 10(4) trophozoites inoculated group and the control group. L3T4+ T cells and Ly2+ T cells in the total spleen lymphocytes of 1 x 105 trophozoites inoculated group on day 7 were significantly increased compared with the control group. The DNA S fraction of T cells in the spleen of 1 x 10(5) trophozoites inoculated group was significantly increased on day 7. The amount of S fractions of DNA were sequentially decreased on day 14 and 24, but they were also significantly increased compared with the control group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)