An ovine lymphocyte antigen is associated with reduced faecal egg counts in four-month-old lambs following natural, predominantly Ostertagia circumcincta infection
Abstract
Ten lymphocyte antigens were defined in a flock of Scottish Blackface sheep known to be naturally exposed to infection with Ostertagia circumcincta. Population and family studies suggested that the 10 antigens were products of class I loci. Antigen G13br was in linkage disequilibrium with allele g2 at the DRB1 locus. The g2 allele has previously been associated with reduced faecal egg counts in a different crop of lambs from the same farm. In this study antigen G13br was also associated with a reduction in faecal egg counts. The results provide partial confirmation of the role of the major histocompatibility complex in resistance to natural, predominantly O. circumcincta infection.
Citation
Stear, M.J.; Bairden, K.; Bishop, S.C.; Buitkamp, J.; Epplen, J.T.; Gostomski, D.; Mckellar, Q.A.; Schwaiger, F.W.; Wallace, D.S. An ovine lymphocyte antigen is associated with reduced faecal egg counts in four-month-old lambs following natural, predominantly Ostertagia circumcincta infection. International Journal for Parasitology (1996) 26 (4) 423-428. [DOI: 10.1016/0020-7519(96)00002-1]