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Cutting Edge: Helminth Infection Induces IgE in the Absence of µ- or -Chain Expression¹

Georgia Perona-Wright^*, Katja Mohrs^*, Justin Taylor, Colby Zaph, David Artis, Edward J. Pearce and Markus Mohrs^2,*

^* Trudeau Institute, Saranac Lake, NY 12983; and Department of Pathobiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104

Infections with helminth parasites are associated with an IgE isotype switch and high serum IgE concentrations. IgE is rapidly bound by the high affinity IgE receptor (FcRI), thereby sensitizing FcRI-bearing basophils and mast cells for IgE-inducible effector functions such as IL-4 production. The development of Ab-secreting B cells is dependent on IgM and consequently, µMT mice, which lack surface IgM, are considered devoid of Abs. In this study we report the unexpected finding that C57BL/6 µMT mice generate robust IgE responses upon infection with three distinct helminth parasites, Heligmosomoides polygyrus, Trichuris muris, and Schistosoma mansoni. IgE is produced despite an apparent block in B cell development and licenses basophils for IgE-induced IL-4 production. Our findings reveal the existence of an evolutionarily conserved, IgM-independent pathway for the production of IgE upon infection with helminth parasites.

The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked advertisement in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.

¹ This work was supported by funds from Trudeau Institute and the National Institutes of Health Grants AI61570 (to D.A.), AI074878 (to D.A.), AI32573 (to E.J.P.), AI072296 (to M.M.), and AI076479 (to M.M.).

² Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Markus Mohrs, Trudeau Institute, 154 Algonquin Avenue, Saranac Lake, NY 12983. E-mail address: mmohrs{at}trudeauinstitute.org

³ Abbreviations used in this paper: Hp, Heligmosomoides polygyrus; mesLN, mesenteric lymph node; Sm, Schistosoma mansoni; Tm, Trichuris muris; WT, wild type.