title: Cellular immune responses and cytokine production in BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice during the acute phase of Angiostrongylus costaricensis infection.
abstract: In our experimental study we were able to show that the contrasting outcome of Angiostrongylus costaricensis infection in C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice, in respect of morbidity and mortality, can be explained by divergent cellular immune responses and a different cytokine pattern in each strain. In BALB/c mice (i.e. those with high mortality), the initial high proliferation of ConA or LPS stimulated spleen cells dropped to very low levels after 2 weeks post-infection (p.i.), whereas in C57BL/6 mice (i.e. those with low mortality), only a minor reduction in lymphoproliferative responses after mitogenic stimulation was observed. The specific proliferation of spleen cells after stimulation with A. costaricensis adult worm antigen remained low in BALB/c mice throughout the experiment, but showed an augmented proliferation in C57BL/6 mice, especially from 2 weeks p.i. onwards. The mitogen-induced production of Th2-type cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10) in spleen cell cultures remained low in BALB/c mice until 4 weeks p.i., but production of Th1-type cytokines (IL-2, IFN-gamma) was highly elevated at 14 and 28 days p.i. In C57BL/6 mice, an upregulated and balanced production of both Th1- and Th2-type cytokines was measured during the course of infection. In summary, a polarization of the immune response towards cellular hyporesponsiveness and a predominantly Th1 cytokine profile was observed in A. costaricensis infected BALB/c mice, which may contribute to pathogenesis and increased morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Wilhelmstr. 27, D-72074, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Geiger
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Abrahams-Sandi
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Soboslay
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Pfaff
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Graeff-Teixeira
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schulz-Key
mesh_terms: D000801:Angiostrongylus; D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood*; D000917:Antibody Formation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008934:Mitogens; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology*; D017206:Strongylida Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D016207:Cytokines; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015848:Interleukin-5; D008934:Mitogens; D016753:Interleukin-10; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma