Detection of Humoral Immune Response of Calves to Boophilus annulatus by ELISA

Ticks are blood feeder acarians that feed on variety of animals and introduce a wide variety of molecules to their host immune system and some of them may stimulate host immune system to produce antibodies. This study was carried out to detect humoral immune responses following Boophilus annulatus infestation. Seven cattle were each experimentally infested with 10000 B. annulatus larvae and their humoral immune re­sponse to salivary gland; ovary and larval extracts were determined by ELISA. Measurements of serum antibodies level were recorded weekly, in a period of nine weeks post infestation. An increase of the antibody level was observed in all animals at one week post infestation and reached in a peak at week ninth, then decreased in week 9. Sera of infected animals showed approximately similar reactions to all of tissue extracts that might be due to the presence of common proteins in tick tissues and could be a candidate for immunization.