title: Interleukin-10 downregulates the intracerebral immune response in chronic Toxoplasma encephalitis.
abstract: The expression of the immunosuppressive cytokine interleukin (IL)-10 in the normal and Toxoplasma gondii-infected murine brain was analysed. Microglia/macrophages expressed IL-10 at the mRNA and protein level in the normal brain. In Toxoplasma encephalitis (TE), CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells also contributed to the upregulated IL-10 production. Neutralization of endogenous IL-10 in chronic TE reduced the intracerebral parasitic load and increased the number of immune cells and the production of protective cytokines. These findings indicate that intracerebral expression of IL-10 interferes with the immune response in TE and may contribute to parasite persistence in the brain.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Neuropathologie, Universitätskliniken Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deckert-Schlüter
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Buck
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Weiner
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kaefer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rang
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hof
authors.forename: O D
authors.initials: OD
authors.lastname: Wiestler
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schlüter
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000276:immunology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016781:Toxoplasmosis, Cerebral / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016753:Interleukin-10