title: In vitro production of interleukin-4 and interferon-gamma by lymph node cells from BALB/c mice infested with nymphal Ixodes ricinus ticks.
abstract: In this study we compared the ability of lymphocytes taken from axillary and brachial lymph nodes of BALB/c mice that had been infested once three times with 15 nymphal Ixodes ricinus ticks, to produce interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) after in vitro stimulation with concanavalin A (Con A). They released high levels of IL-4 and low levels of IFN-gamma. An increase of IFN-gamma between the first and the third tick infestation was observed. Salivary gland extracts from female I. ricinus ticks induced specific in vitro proliferation of lymphocytes from infested mice. IL-4 production was correlated with the salivary gland extracts' ability to stimulate tick-specific lymphocyte proliferation. Its levels remained high from the first to the third infestation. IFN-gamma production was not necessarily associated with tick salivary gland antigen stimulation. In BALB/c mice, anti-tick immune response induction is regional and the contribution of other similar secondary lymphoid organs is negligible. Only cells from the lymph nodes which drained the tick-fixation site proliferated in vitro in the presence of tick antigens, and when stimulated with Con A produced IL-4 and IFN-gamma.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ganapamo
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rutti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brossard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001365:Axilla; D001367:Axillary Vein; D002455:Cell Division / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D003208:Concanavalin A; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma