Low dose chronic Schistosoma mansoni infection increases susceptibility to Mycobacterium bovis BCG infection in mice.
The incidence of mycobacterial diseases is high and the efficacy of Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG) is low in most areas of the world where chronic worm infections are common. However, if and how concurrent worm infections could affect immunity to mycobacterial infections has not been elucidated. In this study we investigated whether infection of mice with Schistosoma mansoni could affect the ability of the animals to control Mycobacterium bovis BCG infection and the immune response to mycobacterial antigens. BALB/c mice subclinically infected with S. mansoni were challenged with M. bovis BCG via the intravenous route. The ability of the animals to contain the replication of M. bovis BCG in their organs, lung pathology as well as the in vitro mycobacterial and worm antigen induced immune responses were evaluated. The results showed that S. mansoni coinfected mice had significantly higher levels of BCG bacilli in their organs and sustained greater lung pathology compared to Schistosoma uninfected controls. Moreover, Schistosoma infected mice show depressed mycobacterial antigen specific Th1 type responses. This is an indication that chronic worm infection could affect resistance/susceptibility to mycobacterial infections by impairing mycobacteria antigen specific Th1 type responses. This finding is potentially important in the control of TB in helminth endemic parts of the world.
Elias
D
D
Microbiology and Tumour Biology Centre, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. eliasroro@yahoo.com
Akuffo
H
H
Thors
C
C
Pawlowski
A
A
Britton
S
S
D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000276:immunology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D023421:Models, Animal; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D007371:Interferon-gamma
Bull World Health Organ. 2000;78(11):1368-9
11143198
J Immunol. 1991 Oct 15;147(8):2713-6
1680917
J Immunol. 1995 Aug 15;155(4):2057-66
7543537
Infect Immun. 1999 Jun;67(6):2867-73
10338493
Braz J Med Biol Res. 1999 Nov;32(11):1429-36
10559845
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1993 Feb 1;90(3):948-52
8094248
J Exp Med. 1991 Jan 1;173(1):159-66
1824635
Curr Opin Immunol. 2001 Aug;13(4):417-28
11498297
Infect Immun. 2001 Mar;69(3):1574-80
11179329
J Clin Invest. 1993 Oct;92(4):1667-73
8408619
Parasitol Today. 1997 Nov;13(11):438-43
15275146
J Immunol. 1992 May 15;148(10):3264-70
1533656
J Infect Dis. 2004 Jul 1;190(1):123-6
15195251
Science. 2000 Jun 23;288(5474):2131
10896582
Scand J Infect Dis. 2001;33(8):568-71
11525348
J Immunol. 1999 Jun 1;162(11):6843-8
10352306
Immunology. 2001 May;103(1):1-9
11380686
Lancet. 2003 Sep 13;362(9387):887-99
13678977
J Infect Dis. 1997 Nov;176(5):1351-9
9359738
JAMA. 1999 Aug 18;282(7):677-86
10517722
Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2001 Apr 20;282(5):1169-76
11302738
Curr Opin Microbiol. 1999 Feb;2(1):89-93
10047556
Clin Exp Immunol. 2001 Feb;123(2):219-25
11207651
J Immunol. 1993 Nov 1;151(9):4857-64
8409444
J Parasitol. 1978 Jun;64(3):285-90
566313