|
|
||||||||


* Department of Biochemistry, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland;
Vrije Univeriteit, Vrije, The Netherlands; and
Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Modulation of the immune system by infection with helminth parasites, including schistosomes, is proposed to reduce the levels of allergic responses in infected individuals. In this study we investigated whether experimental infection with Schistosoma mansoni could alter the susceptibility of mice to an extreme allergic response, anaphylaxis. We formally demonstrate that S. mansoni infection protects mice from an experimental model of systemic fatal anaphylaxis. The worm stage of infection is shown to mediate this protective effect. In vivo depletion studies demonstrated an imperative role for B cells and IL-10 in worm-mediated protection. Furthermore, worm infection of mice increases the frequency of IL-10-producing B cells compared with that in uninfected mice. However, transfer of B cells from worm-infected mice or in vitro worm-modulated B cells to sensitized recipients exacerbated anaphylaxis, which was attributed to the presence of elevated levels of IL-4-producing B cells. Worm-modulated, IL-10-producing B cells from IL-4-deficient, but not IL-5-, IL-9- or IL-13-deficient, mice conferred complete resistance to anaphylaxis when transferred to naive mice. Therefore, we have dissected a novel immunomodulatory mechanism induced by S. mansoni worms that is dependent on an IL-10-producing B cell population that can protect against allergic hypersensitivity. These data support a role for helminth immune modulation in the hygiene hypothesis and further illustrate the delicate balance between parasite induction of protective regulatory (IL-10) responses and detrimental (IL-4) allergic responses.
Related articles in The JI:
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
A. J. Buendia, N. Ortega, M. R. Caro, L. Del Rio, M. C. Gallego, J. Sanchez, J. A. Navarro, F. Cuello, and J. Salinas B Cells Are Essential for Moderating the Inflammatory Response and Controlling Bacterial Multiplication in a Mouse Model of Vaccination against Chlamydophila abortus Infection Infect. Immun., November 1, 2009; 77(11): 4868 - 4876. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. Correale and M. Farez Helminth Antigens Modulate Immune Responses in Cells from Multiple Sclerosis Patients through TLR2-Dependent Mechanisms J. Immunol., November 1, 2009; 183(9): 5999 - 6012. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
S. Scabeni, M. Lapilla, S. Musio, B. Gallo, E. Ciusani, L. Steinman, R. Mantegazza, and R. Pedotti CD4+CD25+ Regulatory T Cells Specific for a Thymus-Expressed Antigen Prevent the Development of Anaphylaxis to Self J. Immunol., April 1, 2008; 180(7): 4433 - 4440. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
V. Lampropoulou, K. Hoehlig, T. Roch, P. Neves, E. C. Gomez, C. H. Sweenie, Y. Hao, A. A. Freitas, U. Steinhoff, S. M. Anderton, et al. TLR-Activated B Cells Suppress T Cell-Mediated Autoimmunity J. Immunol., April 1, 2008; 180(7): 4763 - 4773. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
C. Schnoeller, S. Rausch, S. Pillai, A. Avagyan, B. M. Wittig, C. Loddenkemper, A. Hamann, E. Hamelmann, R. Lucius, and S. Hartmann A Helminth Immunomodulator Reduces Allergic and Inflammatory Responses by Induction of IL-10-Producing Macrophages J. Immunol., March 15, 2008; 180(6): 4265 - 4272. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
A. M. Dittrich, A. Erbacher, S. Specht, F. Diesner, M. Krokowski, A. Avagyan, P. Stock, B. Ahrens, W. H. Hoffmann, A. Hoerauf, et al. Helminth Infection with Litomosoides sigmodontis Induces Regulatory T Cells and Inhibits Allergic Sensitization, Airway Inflammation, and Hyperreactivity in a Murine Asthma Model J. Immunol., February 1, 2008; 180(3): 1792 - 1799. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. Ostrowski, M. Vermeulen, O. Zabal, P. I. Zamorano, A. M. Sadir, J. R. Geffner, and O. J. Lopez The Early Protective Thymus-Independent Antibody Response to Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Is Mediated by Splenic CD9+ B Lymphocytes J. Virol., September 1, 2007; 81(17): 9357 - 9367. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
P. Smith, N. E. Mangan, C. M. Walsh, R. E. Fallon, A. N. J. McKenzie, N. van Rooijen, and P. G. Fallon Infection with a Helminth Parasite Prevents Experimental Colitis via a Macrophage-Mediated Mechanism J. Immunol., April 1, 2007; 178(7): 4557 - 4566. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
C J Edwards and C Cooper Early environmental exposure and the development of lupus Lupus, November 1, 2006; 15(11): 814 - 819. [Abstract] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. J. Reece, M. C. Siracusa, and A. L. Scott Innate Immune Responses to Lung-Stage Helminth Infection Induce Alternatively Activated Alveolar Macrophages Infect. Immun., September 1, 2006; 74(9): 4970 - 4981. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
A. Mizoguchi and A. K. Bhan A Case for Regulatory B Cells J. Immunol., January 15, 2006; 176(2): 705 - 710. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
N. E. Mangan, N. van Rooijen, A. N. J. McKenzie, and P. G. Fallon Helminth-Modified Pulmonary Immune Response Protects Mice from Allergen-Induced Airway Hyperresponsiveness J. Immunol., January 1, 2006; 176(1): 138 - 147. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. M. Hunter, A. Wang, C. L. Hirota, and D. M. McKay Neutralizing Anti-IL-10 Antibody Blocks the Protective Effect of Tapeworm Infection in a Murine Model of Chemically Induced Colitis J. Immunol., June 1, 2005; 174(11): 7368 - 7375. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |