Angiostrongylus costaricensis infection in C57BL/6 mice: MHC-II deficiency results in increased larval elimination but unaltered mortality

• Published in: Parasitology research (1987) 2003-08, Vol.90 (5), p.415-420
• Main Authors: GEIGER, S. M, HOFFMANN, W. H, SOBOSLAY, P. T, PFAFF, A. W, GRAEFF-TEIXEIRA, C, SCHULZ-KEY, H
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Angiostrongylus - immunology; Angiostrongylus - physiology; Animals; Antibodies, Helminth - blood; Antigens, Helminth - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Experimental helminthic diseases. Models; Feces - parasitology; Genes, MHC Class II; Helminthic diseases; Immunoglobulins - blood; Infectious diseases; Interferon-gamma - biosynthesis; Interleukins - biosynthesis; Lymphocyte Activation; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Knockout; Mitogens; Parasitic diseases; Spleen - immunology; Strongylida Infections - immunology; Strongylida Infections - parasitology
• ISSN: 0932-0113; 1432-1955
• DOI: 10.1007/s00436-003-0853-2

During experimental Angiostrongylus costaricensis infections in several inbred mouse strains, genetic factors as well as different cytokine secretion patterns have recently been shown to play a role in the outcome of infection in terms of morbidity and mortality, e.g. BALB/c mice show a high and C57BL/6 mice a low mortality during the acute phase of infection. In this study, C57BL/6 MHC-II knockout mice infected with A. costaricensis did not show increased mortality during the acute phase of infection when compared with wild-type mice. Furthermore, MHC-II knockout mice showed a strongly diminished parasite-specific humoral and cellular immune response, which can be explained by the nearly complete lack of CD4+ T cells in the periphery. This defect in MHC-II genes, the lack of CD4+ T cells, and the resulting cellular and humoral unresponsiveness resulted in a three times higher output of first-stage larvae in feces compared with wild-type animals. The results indicate that during experimental A. costaricensis infection a parasite-specific immune response, directed via MHC-II molecules and CD4+ T cells, is not essential for the survival of C57BL/6 mice during the acute phase of infection, whereas the elimination of first-stage larvae seems to be regulated by a MHC-II- and CD4+ T-cell-dependent mechanism.