title: Involvement of lectin pathway activation in the complement killing of Giardia intestinalis.
abstract: Giardia intestinalis (syn. G. lamblia, G. duodenalis) is a flagellated unicellular eukaryotic microorganism that commonly causes diarrheal disease throughout the world. In humans, the clinical effects of Giardia infection range from the asymptomatic carrier state to a severe malabsorption syndrome possibly due to different virulence of the Giardia strain, the number of cysts ingested, the age of the host, and the state of the host immune system at the time of infection. The question about how G. intestinalis is controlled by the organism remains unanswered. Here, we investigated the role of the complement system and in particular, the lectin pathway during Giardia infections. We present the first evidence that G. intestinalis activate the complement lectin pathway and in doing so participate in eradication of the parasite. We detected rapid binding of mannan-binding lectin, H-ficolin and L-ficolin to the surface of G. intestinalis trophozoites and normal human serum depleted of these molecules failed to kill the parasites. Our finding provides insight into the role of lectin pathway in the control of G. intestinalis and about the nature of surface components of parasite.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Parasitas e Vetores-Instituto Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Evans-Osses
authors.forename: Ephraim A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Ansa-Addo
authors.forename: Jameel M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Inal
authors.forename: Marcel I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Ramirez
mesh_terms: D037582:Complement Pathway, Mannose-Binding Lectin; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D016829:Giardia lamblia / Q000276:immunology*; D005873:Giardiasis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D037102:Lectins / Q000276:immunology; D037601:Mannose-Binding Lectin / Q000276:immunology*; D000097604:Ficolins
chemical_list: D003165:Complement System Proteins; D037102:Lectins; D037601:Mannose-Binding Lectin; D000097604:Ficolins