Fasciola hepatica co-infection enhances Th1 immune response in the adventitial layer of non-fertile Echinococcus granulosus cysts

• Published in: Veterinary parasitology 2021-02, Vol.290, p.109343, Article 109343
• Main Authors: Jiménez, Mauricio, Hidalgo, Christian, Stoore, Caroll, Corrêa, Felipe, Pereira, Ismael, Hernández, Marcela, Sáenz, Leonardo, Benavides, Julio, Ferreras, M. Carmen, Royo, Marcos, Paredes, Rodolfo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cytokines; Echinococcus granulosus; Fasciola hepatica; Immunohistochemistry; Ism; Local immune response; Polyparasit
• ISSN: 0304-4017; 1873-2550
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2021.109343

•Cytokine expression in adventitial layer is related to cyst fertility.•Co-infection with F. hepatica enhances cytokine expression in adventitial layer.•Cytokine expression was mostly localized to cells next to the laminated layer. Cystic echinococcosis is a widespread zoonosis caused by the larval stage of the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus. In intermediary hosts, two types of echinococcal cysts can be found: fertile, which produce protoscoleces, the infective form of the parasite to dogs; and infertile, that do not present protoscoleces and therefore are not able to continue with the parasite life cycle. The adventitial layer, the local immune response against the cyst, plays an important role in cyst fertility. Grazing cattle can often feature Fasciola hepatica co-infection, a parasite known to modulate the host systemic immune response. In this work the cellular Th1/Th2 immune profiles were evaluated in the adventitial layer of fertile and non-fertile cysts with and without co-infection with Fasciola hepatica. Measuring with immunohistochemistry and qPCR in adventitial layer, we report that non-fertile cysts present higher levels of Th1 cytokines (IFN-γ (P