Host immune response to Cryptosporidium parvum infection.
Species of the genus Cryptosporidium are protozoan parasites (Apicomplexa) that cause gastroenteritis in animals and humans. Of these Cryptosporidium parvum and Cryptosporidium hominis are the major causative agents of human cryptosporidiosis. Whereas infection is self-limiting in the immunocompetent hosts, immunocompromised individuals develop a chronic, life-threatening disease. As specific therapeutic or preventive interventions are not yet available, better understanding of the immune response to the parasite is required. This minireview briefly summarizes the factors involved in the innate and acquired immune response in this pathogen-host interaction with an emphasis on more recent data from mouse models of infection.
Petry
Franz
F
Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, D-55131 Mainz, Germany. fpetry@uni-mainz.de
Jakobi
Vera
V
Tessema
Tesfaye S
TS
D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000276:immunology; D056704:Adaptive Immunity; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000276:immunology*; D016785:Cryptosporidium parvum / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007121:Immunocompetence / Q000276:immunology; D016867:Immunocompromised Host / Q000276:immunology*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000276:immunology; D010586:Phagocytes / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D016207:Cytokines; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D003165:Complement System Proteins