title: Experimental murine fascioliasis derives early immune suppression with increased levels of TGF-β and IL-4.
abstract: In fascioliasis, T-helper 2 (Th2) responses predominate, while little is known regarding early immune phenomenon. We herein analyzed early immunophenotype changes of BALB/c, C57BL/6, and C3H/He mice experimentally infected with 5 Fasciola hepatica metacercariae. A remarkable expansion of CD19(+) B cells was observed as early as week 1 post-infection while CD4(+)/CD8(+) T cells were down-regulated. Accumulation of Mac1(+) cells with time after infection correlated well with splenomegaly of all mice strains tested. The expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α mRNA in splenocytes significantly decreased while that of IL-4 up-regulated. IL-1β expression was down-modulated in BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice, but not in C3H/He. Serum levels of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β were considerably elevated in all mice during 3 weeks of infection period. These collective results suggest that experimental murine fascioliasis might derive immune suppression with elevated levels of TGF-β and IL-4 during the early stages of infection.
authors.affiliation: Tissue Research Program, Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Joon-Yong
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Young-An
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Doo-Hee
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.forename: Hyun-Jong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yoon
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005210:Fasciola hepatica / Q000276:immunology*; D005211:Fascioliasis / Q000276:immunology*; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D015847:Interleukin-4