Skip to main content
PMC home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1996 Aug;64(8):2950–2954. doi: 10.1128/iai.64.8.2950-2954.1996

Antibody-independent effector mechanisms in resistance to the intestinal nematode parasite Trichuris muris.

K J Else 1, R K Grencis 1
PMCID: PMC174173  PMID: 8757819

Abstract

The development of a strong Th2-type immune response is essential in resistance to the intestinal nematode parasite Trichuris muris. Although the underlying cell-regulatory mechanisms important in protective immunity are well defined, the actual Th2-controlled effector mechanisms culminating in worm expulsion are uncharacterized. Using methodology involving the selective reconstitution of severe combined immunodeficiency mice with highly pure populations of CD4+ T cells from immune BALB/c donors, we show here that antibody is not an essential component in resistance to T. muris. Thus, CD4+ T cells purified from BALB/c donor mice at a time point when Th2 cells are in dominance (days 19 to 21 postinfection) confer resistance to infection on recipient severe combined immunodeficiency mice in the complete absence of an antibody response.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (267.2 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Else K. J., Entwistle G. M., Grencis R. K. Correlations between worm burden and markers of Th1 and Th2 cell subset induction in an inbred strain of mouse infected with Trichuris muris. Parasite Immunol. 1993 Oct;15(10):595–600. doi: 10.1111/pim.1993.15.10.595. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Else K. J., Finkelman F. D., Maliszewski C. R., Grencis R. K. Cytokine-mediated regulation of chronic intestinal helminth infection. J Exp Med. 1994 Jan 1;179(1):347–351. doi: 10.1084/jem.179.1.347. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Else K. J., Grencis R. K. Cellular immune responses to the murine nematode parasite Trichuris muris. I. Differential cytokine production during acute or chronic infection. Immunology. 1991 Apr;72(4):508–513. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Else K. J., Hültner L., Grencis R. K. Cellular immune responses to the murine nematode parasite Trichuris muris. II. Differential induction of TH-cell subsets in resistant versus susceptible mice. Immunology. 1992 Feb;75(2):232–237. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Else K. J., Wakelin D., Wassom D. L., Hauda K. M. MHC-restricted antibody responses to Trichuris muris excretory/secretory (E/S) antigen. Parasite Immunol. 1990 Sep;12(5):509–527. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3024.1990.tb00985.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Else K. J., Wakelin D., Wassom D. L., Hauda K. M. The influence of genes mapping within the major histocompatibility complex on resistance to Trichuris muris infections in mice. Parasitology. 1990 Aug;101(Pt 1):61–67. doi: 10.1017/s0031182000079762. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Else K., Wakelin D. The effects of H-2 and non-H-2 genes on the expulsion of the nematode Trichuris muris from inbred and congenic mice. Parasitology. 1988 Jun;96(Pt 3):543–550. doi: 10.1017/s0031182000080173. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Finkelman F. D., Madden K. B., Cheever A. W., Katona I. M., Morris S. C., Gately M. K., Hubbard B. R., Gause W. C., Urban J. F., Jr Effects of interleukin 12 on immune responses and host protection in mice infected with intestinal nematode parasites. J Exp Med. 1994 May 1;179(5):1563–1572. doi: 10.1084/jem.179.5.1563. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Herndon F. J., Kayes S. G. Depletion of eosinophils by anti-IL-5 monoclonal antibody treatment of mice infected with Trichinella spiralis does not alter parasite burden or immunologic resistance to reinfection. J Immunol. 1992 Dec 1;149(11):3642–3647. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Huntley J. F., Gooden C., Newlands G. F., Mackellar A., Lammas D. A., Wakelin D., Tuohy M., Woodbury R. G., Miller H. R. Distribution of intestinal mast cell proteinase in blood and tissues of normal and Trichinella-infected mice. Parasite Immunol. 1990 Jan;12(1):85–95. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3024.1990.tb00938.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Lee T. D., Wakelin D. The use of host strain variation to assess the significance of mucosal mast cells in the spontaneous cure response of mice to the nematode Trichuris muris. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol. 1982;67(4):302–305. doi: 10.1159/000233037. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Locksley R. M. Th2 cells: help for helminths. J Exp Med. 1994 May 1;179(5):1405–1407. doi: 10.1084/jem.179.5.1405. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Madden K. B., Urban J. F., Jr, Ziltener H. J., Schrader J. W., Finkelman F. D., Katona I. M. Antibodies to IL-3 and IL-4 suppress helminth-induced intestinal mastocytosis. J Immunol. 1991 Aug 15;147(4):1387–1391. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Pritchard D. I., Quinnell R. J., Walsh E. A. Immunity in humans to Necator americanus: IgE, parasite weight and fecundity. Parasite Immunol. 1995 Feb;17(2):71–75. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3024.1995.tb00968.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Roach T. I., Else K. J., Wakelin D., McLaren D. J., Grencis R. K. Trichuris muris: antigen recognition and transfer of immunity in mice by IgA monoclonal antibodies. Parasite Immunol. 1991 Jan;13(1):1–12. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3024.1991.tb00258.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Urban J. F., Jr, Katona I. M., Paul W. E., Finkelman F. D. Interleukin 4 is important in protective immunity to a gastrointestinal nematode infection in mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1991 Jul 1;88(13):5513–5517. doi: 10.1073/pnas.88.13.5513. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Urban J. F., Jr, Madden K. B., Cheever A. W., Trotta P. P., Katona I. M., Finkelman F. D. IFN inhibits inflammatory responses and protective immunity in mice infected with the nematode parasite, Nippostrongylus brasiliensis. J Immunol. 1993 Dec 15;151(12):7086–7094. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Urban J. F., Jr, Madden K. B., Svetić A., Cheever A., Trotta P. P., Gause W. C., Katona I. M., Finkelman F. D. The importance of Th2 cytokines in protective immunity to nematodes. Immunol Rev. 1992 Jun;127:205–220. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-065x.1992.tb01415.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Urban J. F., Jr, Maliszewski C. R., Madden K. B., Katona I. M., Finkelman F. D. IL-4 treatment can cure established gastrointestinal nematode infections in immunocompetent and immunodeficient mice. J Immunol. 1995 May 1;154(9):4675–4684. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Wakelin D. Acquired immunity to Trichuris muris in the albino laboratory mouse. Parasitology. 1967 Aug;57(3):515–524. doi: 10.1017/s0031182000072395. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES