Accelerated control of visceral Leishmania donovani infection in interleukin-6-deficient mice.
In patients with visceral leishmaniasis, increased levels of circulating interleukin-6 (IL-6) regularly accompany fully expressed, progressive infections (kala-azar). To experimentally test the role of IL-6, responses to an intracellular Leishmania donovani infection in the livers of IL-6(-/-) and wild-type mice were compared. IL-6(-/-) mice showed an enhanced control of the infection and earlier, rapid parasite killing along with additional evidence of a stimulated antileishmanial Th1-cell-type response: increased levels of circulating gamma interferon, accelerated granuloma assembly, and heightened responsiveness to chemotherapy. In this model of visceral leishmaniasis, IL-6 appears to act in a suppressive, macrophage-deactivating fashion, which identifies it as a potential target for therapeutic blockade.
Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York 10065, USA. hwmurray@med.cornell.edu
Henry W
HW
Murray
D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006099:Granuloma / Q000473:pathology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000172:deficiency / Q000276:immunology*; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000276:immunology*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D008099:Liver / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout
D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D015850:Interleukin-6; D007371:Interferon-gamma