Schistosoma mansoni infection alters co-stimulatory molecule expression and cell activation in asthma

• Published in: Microbes and infection 2009-02, Vol.11 (2), p.223-229
• Main Authors: Oliveira, Ricardo R., Gollob, Kenneth J., Figueiredo, Joanemile P., Alcântara, Lêda M., Cardoso, Luciana S., Aquino, Caroline S.B., Campos, Regis A., Almeida, Maria Cecília, Carvalho, Edgar M., Araujo, Maria Ilma
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Animals; Antigens, CD - biosynthesis; Asthma; Asthma - complications; Asthma - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Cells, Cultured; Child; Co-stimulatory molecules; CTLA4; Diseases caused by trematodes; Down-Regulation; Female; Flow Cytometry; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Helminthic diseases; Humans; IL-10; Infectious diseases; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - chemistry; Lymphocyte Activation; Male; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Parasitic diseases; Receptors, Immunologic - biosynthesis; Schistosoma mansoni; Schistosoma mansoni - immunology; Schistosomiases; Schistosomiasis mansoni - immunology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1286-4579; 1769-714X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2008.11.017

Chronic schistosomiasis induces Th2/T regulatory responses which are able to down-modulate allergic inflammation and asthma. Because co-stimulatory molecules and IL-10 are essential for inducing tolerance, the aim of this study was to determine by flow cytometry, the expression of CD28, CTLA4, CD40L, CD80, CD86, HLA-DR, IL-10 and IL-10 receptor, by mononuclear cells from asthmatic individuals infected with Schistosoma mansoni and compare with non-infected individuals. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were stained with fluorochrome conjugated antibodies for the expression of co-stimulatory molecules, and for intracellular CTLA4 and IL-10 expression. There was no significant difference in the frequency of T cells expressing CD28 between the two groups. However, the frequency of TCD4 + cells expressing CTLA4 and CD40L was higher in infected asthmatics. The frequency of monocytes expressing CD80 and CD86 did not differ between groups, while the expression of HLA-DR and IL-10 receptor was higher on monocytes of infected individuals. Furthermore, monocytes and CD4 +CD25 + cells of infected individuals expressed higher levels of IL-10. We conclude that, besides alternatively-activated monocytes that are, together with CD4 +CD25 + cells, important sources of IL-10, CTLA4 and CD40L expression may also participate in the down-modulation of inflammatory allergic response in S. mansoni-infected asthmatics.