title: Basophil depletion downregulates Schistosoma mansoni egg-induced granuloma formation.
abstract: Granuloma formation around parasite eggs during schistosomal infection is considered to be controlled by Th2 cytokines. However, it is still controversial which cell populations are responsible for the host Th2 cytokine-dependent granuloma formation. Basophils have recently attracted attention because of their ability to produce large amounts of IL-4. Therefore, we investigated whether basophils play an essential role in the induction of granuloma formation induced by Schistosoma mansoni eggs. Together with our previous observation that basophil numbers increased markedly in the spleen at 7 weeks postinfection, immunohistochemical staining using anti-mMCP8 monoclonal antibody (mAb) showed basophil infiltration in the granulomatous lesions formed around parasite eggs. To examine the roles of basophils more directly, we treated mice with anti-CD200R3 mAb to deplete basophils. Depletion of basophils resulted in a reduction of basophil number with concomitant downregulation of egg granuloma formation at 7 weeks postinfection. Moreover, we observed a significant reduction in the size of egg granulomas formed in basophil-depleted mice in the pulmonary granuloma model. Taken together, these findings indicated that basophils are essential for S. mansoni egg-induced granuloma formation, and this may serve as a novel therapeutic target in ameliorating the pathology of schistosomiasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Parasitology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan; Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.
authors.forename: William K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Anyan
authors.forename: Takenori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Seki
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kumagai
authors.forename: Kazushige
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Obata-Ninomiya
authors.forename: Rieko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Furushima-Shimogawara
authors.forename: Bethel
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kwansa-Bentum
authors.forename: Nobuaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Akao
authors.forename: Kwabena M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Bosompem
authors.forename: Daniel A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Boakye
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Karasuyama
authors.forename: Nobuo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D001491:Basophils / Q000276:immunology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006099:Granuloma / Q000276:immunology*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010063:Ovum / Q000276:immunology; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000276:immunology*; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015847:Interleukin-4
keywords: Ba103; Basophils; Egg granuloma; Parasite eggs; Schistosoma mansoni