title: Eosinophils act as antigen-presenting cells to induce immunity to Strongyloides stercoralis in mice.
abstract: The objective of the present study was to explore the ability of eosinophils to present Strongyloides stercoralis antigen in naive and immunized mice. Antigen-pulsed eosinophils were injected intraperitoneally into naive or immunized mice, and then mice were examined for antigen-specific immune responses. A single inoculation of antigen-pulsed eosinophils was sufficient to prime naive mice and to boost immunized mice for antigen-specific T helper cell type 2 (Th2) immune responses with increased interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-5 production. Mice inoculated 3 times with live eosinophils pulsed with antigen showed significant increases in parasite antigen-specific immunoglobulin (Ig) M and IgG levels in their serum. Antigen-pulsed eosinophils deficient in major histocompatibility complex class II molecules or antigen-pulsed dead eosinophils failed to induce immune responses, thereby demonstrating the requirement for direct interaction between eosinophils and T cells. These experiments demonstrate that eosinophils function as antigen-presenting cells for the induction of the primary and the expansion of the secondary Th2 immune responses to S. stercoralis in mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Thomas Jefferson University, 233 S. 10th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
authors.forename: Udaikumar M
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Padigel
authors.forename: Jessica A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hess
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: James B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Lok
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Nolan
authors.forename: Gerhard A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Schad
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Abraham
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000276:immunology*; D005802:Genes, MHC Class II; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000276:immunology; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal / Q000379:methods; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D017171:Strongyloides stercoralis / Q000276:immunology*; D013322:Strongyloidiasis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D015848:Interleukin-5