title: Schistosoma mansoni infection in eosinophil lineage-ablated mice.
abstract: We explore the controversial issue of the role of eosinophils in host defense against helminthic parasites using the established Schistosoma mansoni infection model in 2 novel mouse models of eosinophil lineage ablation (DeltadblGATA and TgPHIL). No eosinophils were detected in bone marrow of infected DeltadblGATA or TgPHIL mice, despite the fact that serum IL-5 levels in these infected mice exceeded those in infected wild type by approximately 4-fold. Liver granulomata from infected DeltadblGATA and TgPHIL mice were likewise depleted of eosinophils compared with those from their respective wild types. No eosinophil-dependent differences in granuloma number, size, or fibrosis were detected at weeks 8 or 12 of infection, and differential accumulation of mast cells was observed among the DeltadblGATA mice only at week 12. Likewise, serum levels of liver transaminases, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) increased in all mice in response to S mansoni infection, with no eosinophil-dependent differences in hepatocellular damage observed. Finally, eosinophil ablation had no effect on worm burden or on egg deposition. Overall, our data indicate that eosinophil ablation has no impact on traditional measures of disease in the S mansoni infection model in mice. However, eosinophils may have unexplored immunomodulatory contributions to this disease process.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Allergic Diseases, NIAID, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892-1883, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Swartz
authors.forename: Kimberly D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Dyer
authors.forename: Allen W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Cheever
authors.forename: Thirumalai
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ramalingam
authors.forename: Lesley
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pesnicak
authors.forename: Joseph B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Domachowske
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Nancy A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Paul S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Wynn
authors.forename: Helene F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D019070:Cell Lineage; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000473:pathology; D006099:Granuloma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology*; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000378:metabolism*; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000097:blood*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015848:Interleukin-5