title: Interleukin-33 promotes Th2 immune responses in infected mice with Schistosoma japonicum.
abstract: IL-33, a new member of the IL-1 cytokine family, is associated with many infectious diseases. IL-33 not only is crucial for induction of Th2 polarized responses, but also is involved in induction of inflammation as a proinflammatory cytokine. Whether IL-33 leads to beneficial or worsening outcomes depends on the immune mechanism underlying the pathogensis of each disease condition. This study was to elucidate the role of IL-33 in schistosomiasis japonica in a mouse model. Our results demonstrated that serum levels of IL-33 from infected mice with Schistosoma japonicum began to rise at 1 week postinfection (pi) and reached a peak in 7 weeks pi, and then remained a plateau for 2 weeks, after which its level gradually decreased until 12 weeks pi. Compared with the infection control, exogenous IL-33 administration could increase a Th2 polarized immune response (evidenced by higher levels of IL-5, IL-10, and IL-13, along with lower level of IFN-γ) at 6 weeks pi. Meanwhile, this Th2 polarization was associated with higher infection intensity and liver immunopathology in infected mice, whereas injection of anti-IL-33 mAb into infected mice induced adverse effects on these above immune parameters and immunopathology. These data suggest that IL-33 might act as an inducer of Th2 polarization and plays a crucial role in immunopathology in murine schistosomiasis japonica.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Hubei Xinhua Hospital, Wuhan, 430015, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yihan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Weiwen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Jiahui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lei
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000067596:Interleukin-33 / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D012549:Schistosoma japonicum / Q000276:immunology*; D012554:Schistosomiasis japonica / Q000276:immunology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D000067596:Interleukin-33; D007371:Interferon-gamma