6533b7d2fe1ef96bd125e2e4
RESEARCH PRODUCT
A protective role for interleukin 18 in interferon γ-mediated innate immunity to Cryptosporidium parvum that is independent of natural killer cells.
Naheed ChoudhryVincent McdonaldNico Van RooijenFranz Petrysubject
medicine.medical_treatmentMicrobiologyInterferon-gammaMiceInterferonmedicineImmunology and AllergyMacrophageAnimalsInterferon gammaRNA MessengerCells CulturedCryptosporidium parvumInnate immune systembiologyMacrophagesInterleukin-18Epithelial Cellsbiology.organism_classificationInterleukin-12Immunity InnateIntestinesKiller Cells NaturalMice Inbred C57BLInfectious DiseasesCryptosporidium parvumCytokineImmunologyInterleukin 12Interleukin 18Spleenmedicine.drugdescription
Innate immunity against some intracellular parasitic protozoa involves interleukin 18 (IL-18)-mediated interferon γ (IFN-γ) production by natural killer (NK) cells, but the role of IL-18 in innate resistance to Cryptosporidium infection is unknown. Adult Rag2(-/-)γc(-/-) mice that lack NK cells, T cells, and B cells demonstrated resistance to Cryptosporidium parvum infection that was IFN-γ dependent. Treatment with anti-IL-18-neutralizing antibodies resulted in loss of resistance correlating with reduced intestinal IFN-γ expression. Intestinal mature IL-18 expression increased in vivo during infection and also in the intestinal epithelial cell line CMT-93 following combined IFN-γ treatment/infection. Peritoneal macrophages produced IFN-γ when stimulated with IL-18 combined with interleukin 12, and the latter was expressed in vivo during infection. Macrophage depletion in infected mice caused a rapid growth of infection with no increase in IFN-γ expression. These findings provide evidence of an NK cell-independent, IFN-γ-mediated innate immune pathway against C. parvum in which IL-18 and macrophages play prominent parts.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-01-01 | The Journal of infectious diseases |