title: IL-4 protects against TNF-alpha-mediated cachexia and death during acute schistosomiasis.
abstract: To examine the role of the Th2-type response during schistosomiasis mansoni we compared disease progression in wild type (wt), and Th2-response deficient IL-4(-/-) mice. Whereas wt C57BL/6 mice tolerate infection and develop chronic disease, IL-4(-/-) C57BL/6 animals are highly susceptible, exhibiting severe acute cachexia followed by death. Data point toward morbidity in the IL-4(-/-) C57BL/6 mice being mediated by TNF-alpha, possibly through the uncontrolled production of nitric oxide in target organs such as the ileum. We propose that IL-4 prevents severe disease during schistosomiasis by regulating macrophage activation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Brunet
authors.forename: F D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Finkelman
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Cheever
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kopf
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Pearce
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002100:Cachexia / Q000503:physiopathology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000502:physiology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015847:Interleukin-4