Profound effect of the absence of IL-4 on T cell responses during infection with Schistosoma mansoni.
T cell responses of interleukin (IL)-4(-/-) and wild-type (WT) mice infected with the helper T cell 2 (Th2) response-inducing pathogen Schistosoma mansoni were compared. As expected, given the important role of IL-4 in Th2 response induction, the absence of IL-4 resulted in diminished Th2 responses, apparent as reduced production of IL-4, -5, and -10 by CD4(+) cells isolated from the spleens of infected IL-4(-/-) mice. Surprisingly, these cells produced significantly less interferon (IFN)-gamma and proliferated less than did those from infected WT mice after T cell receptor ligation. CD8(+) cells isolated from infected IL-4(-/-) mice also produced less IFN-gamma than WT CD8 cells, although there was no difference in the proliferative responses of these cell populations. After infection, spleens of infected IL-4(-/-) mice did not enlarge to the same extent as those of WT mice, and attrition of the CD8(+) cell population within this lymphoid organ was noted. Taken together, the data indicate that in addition to inhibiting Th2 response development, the lack of IL-4 during schistosomiasis significantly affects additional aspects of T cell responses.
Pedras-Vasconcelos
J A
JA
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-6401, USA.
Brunet
L R
LR
Pearce
E J
EJ
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006965:Hyperplasia; D007153:Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000378:metabolism; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000378:metabolism; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000378:metabolism; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D016853:Muromonab-CD3 / Q000494:pharmacology; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D013154:Spleen / Q000473:pathology; D013163:Splenomegaly / Q000209:etiology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
D018793:Interleukin-13; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015848:Interleukin-5; D008222:Lymphokines; D016853:Muromonab-CD3; D016753:Interleukin-10; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma