Maintaining the immunological balance in parasitic infections: a role for TGF-beta?
Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) is an important regulator of inflammation, being proinflammatory at low concentrations and anti-inflammatory at high concentrations. As such, TGF-beta might be important in maintaining the balance between control and clearance of infectious organisms on the one hand and prevention of immune-mediated pathology on the other. In this article, Fakhereldin Omer, Jørgen Kurtzhals and Eleanor Riley review the immunoregulatory properties of TGF-beta in the context of parasitic infections. Data from murine malaria infections suggest that TGF-beta modifies the severity of the disease, and a number of potential protective mechanisms are discussed. Evidence is accumulating that TGF-beta is important for the regulation of other host-parasite interactions and that parasites might directly influence TGF-beta-dependent pathways via the synthesis of TGF-beta or TGF-beta-receptor homologues.
Omer
F M
FM
Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK.
Kurtzhals
J A
JA
Riley
E M
EM
D000818:Animals; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000276:immunology; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics*; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D006801:Humans; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000276:immunology; D008288:Malaria / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000276:immunology; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000276:immunology; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000276:immunology; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000276:immunology*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000276:immunology
D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta