title: Interleukin-17-mediated control of parasitemia in experimental Trypanosoma congolense infection in mice.
abstract: BALB/c mice are highly susceptible to experimental Trypanosoma congolense infections, whereas C57BL/6 mice are relatively resistant. Infected highly susceptible BALB/c mice die of systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Because interleukin-17 (IL-17) and Th17 cells regulate inflammatory responses, we investigated their role in the pathogenesis of experimental African trypanosomiasis in mice. We show that the production of IL-17 by spleen and liver cells and the serum IL-17 level increased after T. congolense infection in mice. Interestingly, infected highly susceptible BALB/c mice produced more IL-17 and had more Th17 cells than infected relatively resistant C57BL/6 mice. Paradoxically, neutralization of IL-17 with anti-IL-17 monoclonal antibody in vivo induced higher parasitemia in both the susceptible and the relatively resistant mice. Interestingly, anti-IL-17 antibody-treated mice had higher serum levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, and the production of IL-10 and nitric oxide by liver cells was markedly decreased. Moreover, recombinant IL-17-treated mice exhibited significantly faster parasite control and lower peak parasitemia compared to control mice. Collectively, these results suggest that the IL-17/Th17 axis plays a protective role in murine experimental African trypanosomiasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
authors.forename: Zhirong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Mou
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Shiby
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuriakose
authors.forename: Forough
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Khadem
authors.forename: Jude E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Uzonna
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000276:immunology; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D014348:Trypanosoma congolense / Q000276:immunology*; D014353:Trypanosomiasis, African / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D020381:Interleukin-17