title: Lack of galectin-3 involvement in murine intestinal nematode and schistosome infection.
abstract: Many parasitic helminths produce large quantities of glycosylated proteins, some if which are believed to be involved in the skewing towards the dominant Th2 response observed during helminth infection. Galectin-3 is a member of a family of lectin-binding proteins produced by many different types of immune cells, including macrophages. Galectin-3 recognizes the GalNAcbeta1-4GlcNAc (LDN) epitope present on many helminth antigens, including those of the schistosome eggs. Here we show that galectin-3 is not involved in the development of the Th2 response nor in schistosome granuloma formation. Galectin-3-deficient mice were able to expel the gastrointestinal nematode Trichuris muris at the same speed as wild-type mice. Expulsion of T. muris is known to be dependent on a Th2 immune response and galectin-3-deficient mice showed no defect in their ability to produce Th2 cytokines or in their antibody responses, compared to wild-type mice. Furthermore, galectin-3-deficient mice were also able to mount a Th2 response to Schistosoma mansoni infection and they exhibited normal hepatic granuloma formation. The data presented here demonstrate that galectin-3 is not a critical component in the development of Th2 responses during helminth infection in vivo, nor is it essential for schistosome egg granuloma formation.
authors.affiliation: Immunology Unit, Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Bickle
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Helmby
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood; D037502:Galectin 3 / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006099:Granuloma / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D014257:Trichuriasis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D014258:Trichuris / Q000472:pathogenicity*
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D037502:Galectin 3