title: Involvement of IL-13 and tissue transglutaminase in liver granuloma and fibrosis after schistosoma japonicum infection.
abstract: Schistosomiasis, one of the most devastating parasitic diseases, is caused by Schistosoma japonicum (Sj) infection resulting in serious liver fibrosis. Interleukin- (IL-) 13, which is produced by TH2  cells, is a critical profibrotic cytokine found in various organs, including the liver. Tissue transglutaminase (tTG), a group of multifunctional enzymes, serves a central function in the pathogenesis of chronic liver diseases. However, the relationship between IL-13, tTG, and liver fibrosis during Schistosoma infection has not been established. This study investigated the involvement of IL-13 and tTG in liver fibrogenesis during Sj infection in mice. Five weeks after Sj infection, granuloma and fibrosis development in the liver coincided with an increase in IL-13 and tTG in the liver and the upregulation of serum IL-13 in infected mice. Administration of cystamine, an inhibitor of tTG, abrogated the increase in both tTG and IL-13 in infected mice and ameliorated liver fibrogenesis and granuloma development. This result establishes a novel link among IL-13, tTG, and liver granuloma and fibrosis under Sj infection. Based on their important functions in liver fibrosis induced by Sj infection, IL-13 and tTG could be promising potential drug targets against schistosomiasis.
authors.affiliation: Guangzhou Hoffmann Institute of Immunology, School of Basic Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510182, China.
authors.forename: Juanjuan
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8638-5225
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Guangzhou Hoffmann Institute of Immunology, School of Basic Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510182, China.
authors.forename: Huayi
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8906-1448
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Guangzhou Hoffmann Institute of Immunology, School of Basic Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510182, China.
authors.forename: Xiaofang
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8093-138X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: Morphology Department, School of Basic Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510182, China.
authors.forename: Xunmin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Morphology Department, School of Basic Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510182, China.
authors.forename: Yinyan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Guangzhou Hoffmann Institute of Immunology, School of Basic Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510182, China.
authors.forename: Mingmin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: She
authors.affiliation: Morphology Department, School of Basic Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510182, China.
authors.forename: Suikai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Mingchiu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.affiliation: Guangzhou Hoffmann Institute of Immunology, School of Basic Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510182, China.
authors.forename: Zi
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8342-6354
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006099:Granuloma / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D000091345:Protein Glutamine gamma Glutamyltransferase 2; D012549:Schistosoma japonicum; D012554:Schistosomiasis japonica / Q000378:metabolism*; D011503:Transglutaminases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018793:Interleukin-13; D000091345:Protein Glutamine gamma Glutamyltransferase 2; D011503:Transglutaminases; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins
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