title: Chronic schistosomiasis during pregnancy epigenetically reprograms T-cell differentiation in offspring of infected mothers.
abstract: Schistosomiasis is a nontransplacental helminth infection. Chronic infection during pregnancy suppresses allergic airway responses in offspring. We addressed the question whether in utero exposure to chronic schistosome infection (Reg phase) in mice affects B-cell and T-cell development. Therefore, we focused our analyses on T-cell differentiation capacity induced by epigenetic changes in promoter regions of signature cytokines in offspring. Here, we show that naïve T cells from offspring of schistosome infected female mice had a strong capacity to differentiate into TH1 cells, whereas TH2 differentiation was impaired. In accordance, reduced levels of histone acetylation of the IL-4 promoter regions were observed in naïve T cells. To conclude, our mouse model revealed distinct epigenetic changes within the naïve T-cell compartment affecting TH2 and TH1 cell differentiation in offspring of mothers with chronic helminth infection. These findings could eventually help understand how helminths alter T-cell driven immune responses induced by allergens, bacterial or viral infections, as well as vaccines.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Klar
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Perchermeier
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Sonakshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhattacharjee
authors.affiliation: Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Molecular Diagnostics, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Hani
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Harb
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz Zentrum München, Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Thure
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Adler
authors.affiliation: III. Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Rouzanna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Istvanffy
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Loffredo-Verde
authors.affiliation: III. Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Oostendorp
authors.affiliation: Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Molecular Diagnostics, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Renz
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Clarissa
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-4808-8852
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Prazeres da Costa
mesh_terms: D000107:Acetylation; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002908:Chronic Disease; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D005260:Female; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D009035:Mothers; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000276:immunology*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D006657:Histones; D015847:Interleukin-4
keywords: Epigenetic histone modification; In utero programming; Maternal helminth infection; Schistosomiasis; T-cell differentiation