title: IL-4 dependent resistance to the tapeworm Mesocestoides corti (Cestoda) in mice.
abstract: Three-week Mesocestoides corti infections of C57BL/6 mice showed significantly raised parasite counts in animals with a targeted knockout of the IL-4 gene. By contrast, antibody neutralization of IL-5 and inhibition of eosinophilia had no effect on parasite numbers. In SV/129 mice, knockout of the interferon gamma receptor and inducible nitric oxide synthase genes had no significant effect on parasite counts. In IL-4(-/-)mice the dominant IgG1 antibody response was dramatically reduced, with a concomitant increase in IgG2a/b responses and a partial twofold reduction in IgM and IgE responses. We conclude that murine resistance to M. corti is dependent on IL-4, but occurs independently of IL-5 and eosinophils. This provides the first direct evidence for IL-4 mediated immunity of mice to infection with a tissue-dwelling platyhelminth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathology, University of Liverpool, L69 3BX, UK.
authors.forename: Jagveer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rawat
authors.forename: John B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Dixon
authors.forename: Andrew R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Macintyre
authors.forename: Helen F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: McGarry
authors.forename: Mark J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002590:Cestode Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000378:metabolism; D008645:Mesocestoides / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D015848:Interleukin-5; D015847:Interleukin-4