Primary lymph node responses to mosquito bites

Abstract

Post-auricular lymph node responses and changes in fresh weight of thymus and spleen of hamsters and mice at 4 and 8 days after primary exposure of both ears to 20 bites by the mosquito Aedes aegypti were studied quantitatively. In both hosts lymph node changes characteristic of the development of cell-mediated immune responses and those which are believed to lead to antibody production occurred, with the emphasis on the latter phenomena. No reactions of thymus and spleen were observed. The responses recorded are considered to be immunologically specific. In hamsters, but not in mice, the responses related to humoral sensitization coincided in time to a large extent with those of the cell-mediated immune processes. The stronger humoral responses in mice were probably in the first place the result of the relatively higher dosages applied.

The enhancement of arbovirus transmission and disease by mosquito saliva is associated with modulation of the host immune response

“…Mosquitoes, like all haematophagous arthropods, have evolved mechanisms to effectively neutralize host haemostatic responses, based upon the release of saliva into the feeding site. Saliva is a pharmacologic cocktail of secreted molecules, principally proteins, that can affect vascular constriction, blood coagulation, platelet aggregation, inflammation, immunity, and angiogenesis (Arca et al 1999, Arca et al 2002, Arca et al 2005, Billingsley et al 2006, Calvo et al 2004, Calvo et al 2006a, Calvo et al 2006b, Calvo and Ribeiro 2006, Champagne 2004, Champagne et al 1995, Cross et al 1994, James et al 1991, Kerlin and Hughes 1992, Mellink and Vos 1977, Ribeiro 1987, 1989b, 1992, Ribeiro et al 2000, Ribeiro and Francischetti 2001, 2003, Ribeiro and Nussenzveig 1993, Ribeiro et al 1994, Stark and James 1998, Suwan et al 2002, Valenzuela et al 2002, Wanasen et al 2004, Wasserman et al 2004, Zeidner et al 1999. The saliva of all species of haematophagous arthropod analyzed to date contains at least one anticlotting, one anti-platelet, and one vasodilatory substance.…”

Potential for transmission ofElizabethkingia anophelisbyAedes albopictusand the role of microbial interactions in Zika virus competence

“…Our results present a new dimension into the vector-host interface dynamics. Several molecules present in mosquito saliva have been shown to suppress the host inflammatory or immune responses [28][29][30][31][32][33] thus enhancing dissemination [34]. Specific salivary proteins such as biogenic amine-binding D7 protein [35], saliva serine protease CLIPA3 [36], salivary factor LTRIN [37] and saliva protein AgBR1 [38] modulate vertebrate infection.…”

Impact of the microbiome on mosquito-borne diseases

“…Unlike microbes in other tissues, the salivary gland microbiome may affect mosquito-borne diseases by modulating the host immune system. Salivary factors can adjust the immune responses of vertebrate hosts ( Mellink and Vos, 1977 ; Demeure et al, 2005 ; Depinay et al, 2006 ; Gavor et al, 2022 ; Martin-Martin et al, 2022 ), and some arboviruses exploit these mechanisms to evade immune destruction and find host immune cells as their initial replication sites ( Schneider et al, 2010 ; Styer et al, 2011 ; Briant et al, 2014 ; Conway et al, 2014 ; Schmid et al, 2016 ; Sun et al, 2020 ). Therefore, it is possible that mosquito commensal microbes participate in the recruitment of host innate immune cells and the initiation of infection.…”