title: A critical role for IL-13 in resistance to intestinal nematode infection.
abstract: Mice in which either the IL-4 or the IL-13 gene has been disrupted (IL-4 KO and IL-13 KO) were susceptible to infection with the intestinal nematode Trichuris muris, whereas their wild-type littermates were highly resistant and expelled the parasite. IL-4 KO mice showed diminished Th2-type responses with T. muris infection and also failed to produce parasite-specific IgG1 Abs. Although IL-13 KO mice made reduced Th2-type responses early in infection, they were capable of generating strong Th2-type responses at later time points and were unable to regulate the magnitude of their Ab isotype response. These results confirm the importance of IL-4 in resistance to T. muris and provide the first demonstration of an important role for IL-13 in resistance to helminth infection. The IL-13 KO mouse had a separate phenotype to that of the IL-4 KO mouse, suggesting that both IL-4 and IL-13 play important yet different roles in mediating immunity to intestinal helminths.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Science, University of Manchester, United Kingdom. abancrof@fs1.scg.man.ac.uk
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Bancroft
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: McKenzie
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Grencis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D013045:Species Specificity; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D014234:Trichinella / Q000276:immunology; D014235:Trichinellosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D016207:Cytokines; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes; D018793:Interleukin-13; D015847:Interleukin-4