title: Chronic helminth infection reduces basophil responsiveness in an IL-10-dependent manner.
abstract: Basophils play a key role in the development and effector phases of type 2 immune responses in both allergic diseases and helminth infections. This study shows that basophils become less responsive to IgE-mediated stimulation when mice are chronically infected with Litomosoides sigmodontis, a filarial nematode, and Schistosoma mansoni, a blood fluke. Although excretory/secretory products from microfilariae of L. sigmodontis suppressed basophils in vitro, transfer of microfilariae into mice did not result in basophil suppression. Rather, reduced basophil responsiveness, which required the presence of live helminths, was found to be dependent on host IL-10 and was accompanied by decreases in key IgE signaling molecules known to be downregulated by IL-10. Given the importance of basophils in the development of type 2 immune responses, these findings help explain the mechanism by which helminths protect against allergy and may have broad implications for understanding how helminth infections alter other disease states in people.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Larson
authors.forename: Marc P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Hübner
authors.forename: Marina N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Torrero
authors.forename: Christopher P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brankin
authors.forename: Brett E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Swierczewski
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: Becky M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Vonakis
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mitre
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001491:Basophils / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005368:Filariasis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005370:Filarioidea / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C556062:IL10 protein, mouse; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007073:Immunoglobulin E