Schistosomal egg antigen-responsive CD8 T-cell population in Schistosoma mansoni-infected BALB/c mice.
We demonstrated here that schistosomal egg antigen (SEA) is able to stimulate an antigen-specific, cytotoxic CD8+ T-cell response in mice. Indeed, a single i.p. immunization with SEA resulted in the in vivo induction of significant cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity in the spleen within 20 days. Effector cells were classic class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted CD8+ lymphocytes producing interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-2 (IL-2), suggesting a type 1 response to SEA. We therefore investigated the relevance of these observations in the context of the Schistosoma mansoni parasite infection. CTL activity against SEA-pulsed target cells was evidenced throughout the infection after in vitro stimulation of recovered splenic cells with SEA demonstrating that SEA-specific CD8+ T cells with cytotoxic potentialities are present during infection. This activity was strongly increased after immunization of mice with SEA like the production of IFN-gamma in the sera. A marked reduction in the number of granulomas and of fibrosis with the presence of cells producing IFN-gamma in the liver was also observed leading to the survival of SEA-immunized mice.
Pancré
V
V
Laboratoire dImmunopathologie cellulaire des maladies infectieuses, Lille, France,
Delacre
M
M
Herno
J
J
Auriault
C
C
D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D007114:Immunization; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000032:analysis; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000276:immunology*; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology
D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D007371:Interferon-gamma