Role of cytokines in T cell immunity to a pulmonary Cryptococcus neoformans infection.
The objective of these studies was to present an overview of our studies of the cytokine network and cellular interactions responsible for the T-cell-mediated inflammatory response in the lungs following infection by Cryptococcus neoformans. In a resistant strain of mice, moderately virulent cryptococci were progressively cleared from the lungs after week 1. Characterization of mitogen-induced cytokine production demonstrated that the T cells in the lungs during the first 3 weeks of infection resembled Th0 rather than Th1 cells. In addition, the production of IL-10 (by mitogen-stimulated leukocytes) could promote an increase in the ratio of Th2:Th1 cytokines in short-term in vitro cultures. In vivo, there were increases in the alveolar levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and IL-6 at weeks 1-3 and the chemokines monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 at weeks 1-2 followed by macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha and ENA-78 at week 3. Overall, the pulmonary inflammatory response to C. neoformans evolved over 5 weeks from granulocytic to mononuclear, suggesting a maturation to a Th1-type response by week 5.
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA.
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Huffnagle
D000818:Animals; D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000494:pharmacology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis
D016207:Cytokines; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10