title: Counter-regulatory anti-parasite cytokine responses during concurrent Plasmodium yoelii and intestinal helminth infections in mice.
abstract: Malaria and helminth infections are two of the most prevalent parasitic diseases globally. While concomitant infection is common, mechanisms contributing to altered disease outcomes during co-infection remain poorly defined. We have previously reported exacerbation of normally non-lethal Plasmodium yoelii malaria in BALB/c mice chronically infected with the intestinal trematode Echinostoma caproni. The goal of the present studies was to determine the effect of helminth infection on IFN-gamma and other key cytokines during malaria co-infection in the P. yoelii-E. caproni and P. yoelii-Heligmosomoides polygyrus model systems. Polyclonally stimulated spleen cells from both E. caproni- and H. polygyrus-infected mice produced significantly lower amounts of IFN-gamma during P. yoelii co-infection than malaria-only infected mice. Furthermore, the magnitude of IFN-gamma suppression was correlated with the relative amounts of IL-4 induced by these helminths (E. caproni=low; H. polygyrus=high), but not IL-10. Concurrent malaria infection also suppressed helminth-associated IL-4 responses, indicating that immunologic counter-regulation occurs during co-infection with malaria and intestinal helminths.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
authors.forename: Gregory S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Noland
authors.forename: Joseph F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Urban
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fried
authors.forename: Nirbhay
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kumar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004449:Echinostoma / Q000276:immunology; D004451:Echinostomiasis / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D006374:Helminthiasis, Animal / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D008288:Malaria / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009351:Nematospiroides dubius / Q000276:immunology; D010967:Plasmodium yoelii / Q000276:immunology*; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D017206:Strongylida Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D016753:Interleukin-10; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma