In vitrotapeworm extract-induced proliferative responses of gut-associated lymphoid cells fromHymenolepis diminutainfected mice

Abstract

The development of lymphoid cells reactive to tapeworm-associated antigens during the course ofHymenolepis diminutarejection from mice was studied using anin vitrotapeworm extract (TWE)-induced cell proliferation culture system. Mice infected with three cysticercoids on day 0 developed three adult worms by day 7 but worms were rejected by day 21 post-infection. Concomitant with worm rejection was the development of TWE-sensitized lymphoid cells which responded by proliferation when stimulatedin vitrowith TWE. Sensitized cells were detected in gut-associated mesenteric lymph nodes but were not detected in spleen, axillary lymph nodes, or peyer's patches of infected mice, or in lymphoid organs of non-infected mice. These studies suggest that rejection ofH. diminutafrom mice is associated with the activities of gut-associated, tapeworm antigen-sensitized immune cells localized in the mesenteric lymph nodes.

The immune response to and immunomodulation byHymenolepis diminuta

“…There is a clear increase in TH2 type cytokines in mice infected with H. diminuta . This has best been shown by stimulation of spleen or mesenteric lymph node cells that show a time-dependent increase in, for example, IL-4, IL-5, IL-9 and IL-13 following infection (Isaak, 1983; Palmas et al 1997; Persaud et al 2007). Local gut levels also reveal a skewing towards expression of TH2 cytokines, but this has been assessed by RT-PCR for mRNA and not protein measurements (Persaud et al 2007) (the TH2 response in rats is dependent on the size of the infection and data on enteric levels of cytokine mRNA expression need to be complemented by the measurement of bioactive proteins (Webb et al 2007)).…”