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Infection and Immunity, November 2002, p. 5938-5945, Vol. 70, No. 11
0019-9567/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/IAI.70.11.5938-5945.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Infection Outcome and Cytokine Gene Expression in Brugia pahangi- Infected Gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) Sensitized with Brucella abortus

Sharon R. Chirgwin,1 Philip H. Elzer,1,2 Sharon U. Coleman,1 Jena M. Nowling,1 Sue D. Hagius,2 Matthew D. Edmonds,1 and Thomas R. Klei1,2*

Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University,1 Department of Veterinary Science, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 708032

Received 22 February 2002/ Returned for modification 14 May 2002/ Accepted 30 July 2002

Filarial infections have been associated with the development of a strongly polarized Th2 host immune response and a severe impairment of mitogen-driven proliferation and type 1 cytokine production in mice and humans. The role of this polarization in the development of the broad spectra of clinical manifestations of lymphatic filariasis is still unknown. Recently, data gathered from humans as well as from immunocompromised mouse models suggest that filariasis elicits a complex host immune response involving both Th1 and Th2 components. However, responses of a similar nature have not been reported in immunologically intact permissive models of Brugia infection. Brucella abortus-killed S19 was inoculated into the Brugia-permissive gerbil host to induce gamma interferon (IFN-{gamma}) production. Gerbils were then infected with B. pahangi, and the effect of the polarized Th1 responses on worm establishment and host cellular response was measured. Animals infected with both B. abortus and B. pahangi showed increased IFN-{gamma} and interleukin-10 (IL-10) and decreased IL-4 and IL-5 mRNA levels compared with those in animals infected with B. pahangi alone. These data suggest that the prior sensitization with B. abortus may induce a down regulation of the Th2 response associated with Brugia infection. This reduced Th2 response was associated with a reduced eosinophilia and an increased neutrophilia in the peritoneal exudate cells. The changes in cytokine and cellular environment did not inhibit the establishment of B. pahangi intraperitoneally. The data presented here suggest a complex relationship between the host immune response and parasite establishment and survival that cannot be simply ascribed to the Th1/Th2 paradigm.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803. Phone: (225) 578-9702. Fax: (225) 578-9701. E-mail: klei{at}vetmed.lsu.edu.

Editor: J. M. Mansfield

Infection and Immunity, November 2002, p. 5938-5945, Vol. 70, No. 11
0019-9567/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/IAI.70.11.5938-5945.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Porthouse, K. H., Chirgwin, S. R., Coleman, S. U., Taylor, H. W., Klei, T. R. (2006). Inflammatory Responses to Migrating Brugia pahangi Third-Stage Larvae. Infect. Immun. 74: 2366-2372 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Chirgwin, S. R., Coleman, S. U., Porthouse, K. H., Nowling, J. M., Punkosdy, G. A., Klei, T. R. (2003). Removal of Wolbachia from Brugia pahangi Is Closely Linked to Worm Death and Fecundity but Does Not Result in Altered Lymphatic Lesion Formation in Mongolian Gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus). Infect. Immun. 71: 6986-6994 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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