title: Onchocerca volvulus keratitis (river blindness) is exacerbated in BALB/c IL-4 gene knockout mice.
abstract: To determine the outcome of Onchocerca volvulus keratitis in IL-4(-/-) BALB/c mice, animals were immunized subcutaneously and injected into the corneal stroma with soluble O. volvulus antigens. IL-4(-/-) BALB/c mice had a deviated cellular response, with decreased serum IgE and IgG1 and elevated IgG2a compared with control BALB/c mice. In marked contrast to control BALB/c, C57BL/6, and IL-4(-/-) C57BL/6 mice, IL-4(-/-) BALB/c mice developed severe corneal opacification and neovascularization that was associated with a pronounced neutrophil infiltrate to the corneal stroma. STAT-6(-/-) BALB/c mice had the same phenotype as IL-4(-/-) BALB/c mice, and complement depletion had no effect on the severity of O. volvulus keratitis in these mice. These findings indicate that on a BALB/c background, IL-4 has a critical role in regulating neutrophil recruitment to the cornea and development of O. volvulus keratitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals of Cleveland, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
authors.forename: Laurie R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: Ravi B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: Eugenia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Diaconu
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pearlman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D003315:Cornea / Q000473:pathology; D016510:Corneal Neovascularization / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007114:Immunization; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics*; D007634:Keratitis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology; D017181:Onchocerca volvulus / Q000276:immunology; D015827:Onchocerciasis, Ocular / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007073:Immunoglobulin E