Differential pulmonic NK and NKT cell responses in Schistosoma japonicum-infected mice

• Published in: Parasitology research (1987) 2017-02, Vol.116 (2), p.559-567
• Main Authors: Cha, Hefei, Qin, Wenjuan, Yang, Quan, Xie, Hongyan, Qu, Jiale, Wang, Mei, Chen, Daixiong, Wang, Fang, Dong, Nuo, Chen, Longhua, Huang, Jun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Female; Genetic aspects; Health aspects; Humans; Immune response; Immune system; Immunology; Interferon-gamma - genetics; Interleukin-10 - genetics; Interleukin-10 - immunology; Interleukin-17 - genetics; Interleukin-17 - immunology; Interleukin-5 - genetics; Interleukin-5 - immunology; Killer Cells, Natural - immunology; Laboratory rats; Lung; Lung - immunology; Lymphocyte Activation - immunology; Lymphocytes T; Medical Microbiology; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Microbiology; Natural Killer T-Cells - immunology; Original Paper; Physiological aspects; Schistosoma japonicum - immunology; Schistosoma japonicum - physiology; Schistosomiasis; Schistosomiasis japonica - genetics; Schistosomiasis japonica - immunology; Schistosomiasis japonica - parasitology; T cells
• ISSN: 0932-0113; 1432-1955
• DOI: 10.1007/s00436-016-5320-y

Natural killer cells (NK cells) and natural killer T cells (NKT cells) play a role in anti-infection, anti-tumor, transplantation immunity, and autoimmune regulation. However, the role of NK and NKT cells during Schistosoma japonicum ( S. japonicum ) infection has not been widely reported, especially regarding lung infections. The aim of this study was to research the NK and NKT cell response to S. japonicum infection in the lungs of mice. Using immunofluorescent histological analysis, NK and NKT cells were found near pulmonary granulomas. Moreover, flow cytometry revealed that the percentage and number of pulmonic NK cells in S. japonicum- infected mice were significantly increased ( P