title: Schistosoma mansoni: IL-4 is necessary for concomitant immunity in mice.
abstract: To ask whether type-2 immune responses serve an essential role in concomitant immunity, that is the prevention of superinfection with Schistosoma mansoni, we compared resistance to a challenge infection in infected wild-type (WT) mice and in infected IL-4-/- mice, which are unable to mount Th2 responses during schistosomiasis. Although WT mice are protected from superinfection, resistance is abrogated in the absence of interleukin (IL)-4. We conclude that IL-4 or IL-4-dependent responses, or both, are necessary for resistance to S. mansoni superinfection in mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-6401, USA.
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Brunet
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kopf
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Pearce
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D018448:Models, Immunological; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000276:immunology*; D015163:Superinfection; D018418:Th2 Cells
chemical_list: D015847:Interleukin-4