title: Innate immune responses against Cryptosporidium parvum infection.
abstract: Cryptosporidium parvum infects intestinal epithelial cells and is commonly the parasite species involved in mammalian cryptosporidiosis, a major health problem for humans and neonatal livestock. In mice, immunologically mediated elimination of C. parvum requires CD4+ T cells and IFN-γ. However, innate immune responses also have a significant protective role in both adult and neonatal mice. NK cells and IFN-γ have been shown to be important components in immunity in T and B cell-deficient mice, but IFN-γ-dependent resistance has also been demonstrated in alymphocytic mice. Epithelial cells may play a vital role in immunity as once infected these cells have increased expression of inflammatory chemokines and cytokines and demonstrate antimicrobial killing mechanisms, including production of NO and antimicrobial peptides. Toll-like receptors facilitate the establishment of immunity in mice and are involved in the development of inflammatory responses of infected epithelial cells and also dendritic cells.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Digestive Diseases, Barts and the London School of Medicine, Queen Mary College University of London, London, UK. v.mcdonald@qmul.ac.uk
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Korbel
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Barakat
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Choudhry
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Petry
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D016785:Cryptosporidium parvum / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000276:immunology*; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000469:parasitology*