Cellular immune reactions directed against Toxoplasma gondii with special emphasis on the central nervous system.
Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite which, after primary infection of humans, is maintained in a dormant state by the host cellular immune system. In the event of an acquired immunosuppression, those parasites surviving as dormant cysts in the host may undergo a change in status, proliferate and cause a life-threatening toxoplasmic encephalitis. Over the last decade much knowledge has accumulated concerning the immune response against T. gondii. This review focuses attention particularly on the anti-parasitic effector mechanisms and the cellular immune reactions in the central nervous system during the course of reactivated toxoplasmic encephalitis.
Däubener
W
W
Institut für Med. Mikrobiologie und Virologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany. daeubene@mail.rz.uni-duesseldorf.de
Hadding
U
U
D001253:Astrocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D017628:Microglia / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D016897:Respiratory Burst; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D016781:Toxoplasmosis, Cerebral / Q000276:immunology*; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000378:metabolism
D016207:Cytokines; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D014364:Tryptophan