title: Acute helminth infection enhances early macrophage mediated control of mycobacterial infection.
abstract: Co-infection with mycobacteria and helminths is widespread in developing countries, but how this alters host immunological control of each pathogen is not comprehensively understood. In this study, we demonstrate that acute Nippostrongylus brasiliensis (Nb) murine infection reduce early pulmonary mycobacterial colonization. This Nb-associated reduction in pulmonary Mycobacterium tuberculosis colony-forming units was associated with early and increased activation of pulmonary CD4 T cells and increased T helper type 1 (Th1) and Th2 cytokine secretion. An accelerated and transient augmentation of neutrophils and alveolar macrophages (AMs) was also observed in co-infected animals. AMs displayed markers of both classical and alternative activation. Intranasal transfer of pulmonary macrophages obtained from donor mice 5 days after Nb infection significantly reduced pulmonary Mycobacterium bovis Bacille Calmette-Guérin clearance in recipient mice. These data demonstrate that early stage Nb infection elicits a macrophage response, which is protective during the early stages of subsequent mycobacterial infection.
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, MRC Centre for Molecular and Cellular Biology, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical TB Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: du Plessis
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kleynhans
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Thiart
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: van Helden
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Brombacher
authors.forename: W G C
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Horsnell
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Walzl
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D019264:Adoptive Transfer; D000818:Animals; D058491:Bacterial Load; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D060085:Coinfection / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008262:Macrophage Activation; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar / Q000276:immunology* / Q000637:transplantation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*; D009559:Nippostrongylus / Q000276:immunology*; D017206:Strongylida Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D058408:Th1-Th2 Balance; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines