Intestinal granuloma formation in normal and SCID BALB/c mice infected with Angiostrongylus costaricensis.
We studied the histomorphology of granuloma formation and cytokine production in Angiostrongylus costaricensis-infected immunocompetent and immunodeficient BALB/c mice. Histological examination of the infected intestine showed well developed granulomas in BALB/c mice. In contrast, in SCID mice, clusters of eggs and larvae and a progression of infiltration of inflammatory cells were also observed, but little fibroblastic activity was seen. Analysis of plasma of the infected mice demonstrated a dramatic contrast in the cytokine profile between normal and SCID mice. Normal mice infected with A. costaricensis showed highly elevated plasma IFN-gamma levels at week 3 of infection, but plasma IL-4 remained close to the background levels obtained from non-infected mice. In contrast, the amount of those cytokines in the plasma of SCID animals was little affected by this parasitic infection. These results suggest that Th1-mediated immunity is required for granuloma formation in response to A. costaricensis infection in mice.
Ishih
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A
Department of Parasitology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Hamamatsu 431-3192, Japan. aishih@hama-med.ac.jp
Baba
S
S
Nagata
T
T
Terada
M
M
D000801:Angiostrongylus / Q000254:growth & development; D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000276:immunology; D006099:Granuloma / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016513:Mice, SCID; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D012908:Snails; D017206:Strongylida Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*
D016207:Cytokines; D007371:Interferon-gamma