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Antigenic variation among protozoa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2011

K. N. Brown  and
K. Vickerman
K. N. Brown
Affiliation:
National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London, England
K. Vickerman
Affiliation:
National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London, England
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Extract

Antigenic variation is a mechanism exploited by parasitic protozoa to evade the host's immune response. Studies on such variation are of cardinal importance in approaching the practical problems of vaccine design and diagnosis of infection by serological tests. Coincidently these studies have revealed novel gene expression mechanisms which are of fundamental biological interest (Vickerman and Barry, 1982). The African (salivarian) trypanosomes all exhibit antigenic variation and the process has been studied in Trypanosoma brucei subspecies in particular.

Keywords

Antigenic variationAfrican trypanosomesVSG genesParamecium tetraurelia serotypesmalariaerythrocytic stage antigens
Type
Research Article
Information
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science , Volume 7 , Special Issue 3: Progress in Entomology: Proceedings of the VII International Congress of Protozoology , June 1986 , pp. 429 - 431
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 1986

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References

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