scholarly journals Reciprocal Immunomodulatory Effects of Gamma Interferon and Interleukin-4 on Filaria-Induced Airway Hyperresponsiveness

2001 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 1463-1468 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajeev K. Mehlotra ◽  
Laurie R. Hall ◽  
Musa A. Haxhiu ◽  
Eric Pearlman

ABSTRACT Tropical pulmonary eosinophilia (TPE) is a severe asthmatic syndrome of lymphatic filariasis, in which an allergic response is induced to microfilariae (Mf) in the lungs. Previously, in a murine model for TPE, we have demonstrated that recombinant interleukin-12 (IL-12) suppresses pulmonary eosinophilia and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) by modulating the T helper (Th) response in the lungs from Th2- to Th1-like, with elevated gamma-interferon (IFN-γ) production and decreased IL-4 and IL-5 production. The present study examined the immunomodulatory roles of IL-4 and IFN-γ in filaria-induced AHR and pulmonary inflammation using mice genetically deficient in these cytokines. C57BL/6, IL-4 gene knockout (IL-4−/−), and IFN-γ−/− mice were first immunized with soluble Brugia malayi antigens and then inoculated intravenously with 200,000 live Mf. Compared with C57BL/6 mice, IL-4−/− mice exhibited significantly reduced AHR, whereas IFN-γ−/− mice had increased AHR. Histopathologically, each mouse strain showed increased cellular infiltration into the lung parenchyma and bronchoalveolar space compared with naı̈ve animals. However, consistent with changes in AHR, IL-4−/− mice had less inflammation than C57BL/6 mice, whereas IFN-γ−/− mice had exacerbated pulmonary inflammation with the loss of pulmonary architecture. Systemically, IL-4−/− mice produced significantly higher IFN-γ levels compared with C57BL/6 mice, whereas IFN-γ−/− mice produced significantly higher IL-4 levels. These data indicate that IL-4 is required for the induction of filaria-induced AHR, whereas IFN-γ suppresses AHR.

2010 ◽  
Vol 78 (9) ◽  
pp. 4077-4086 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Kirstein ◽  
William G. C. Horsnell ◽  
Natalie Nieuwenhuizen ◽  
Bernhard Ryffel ◽  
Andreas L. Lopata ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Infection with the fish parasite Anisakis following exposure to contaminated fish can lead to allergic reactions in humans. The present study examined the immunological mechanisms underlying the development of allergic airway inflammation in mice after different routes of sensitization to Anisakis. Wild-type and interleukin-4 receptor alpha (IL-4Rα)-deficient BALB/c mice were sensitized intraperitoneally with live or heat-killed Anisakis larvae or by intranasal administration of an Anisakis extract and were subsequently challenged intranasally with an Anisakis extract. Both routes of sensitization induced IL-4Rα-dependent allergic airway responses, whereas allergen-specific antibody responses developed only when mice were sensitized intraperitoneally. Intranasal sensitization induced airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) in wild-type mice only, showing that AHR was IL-4/IL-13 dependent. Unexpectedly, infection with Anisakis larvae induced AHR in both wild-type and IL-4Rα-deficient mice. IL-4Rα-independent AHR was mediated by gamma interferon (IFN-γ), as evidenced by the fact that in vivo neutralization of IFN-γ abrogated AHR. Together, these results demonstrate that both infection with larvae and inhalational exposure to Anisakis proteins are potent routes of allergic sensitization to Anisakis, explaining food- and work-related allergies in humans. Importantly for diagnosis, allergic airway inflammation can be independent of detectable Anisakis-specific antibodies. Moreover, depending on the route of sensitization, AHR can be induced either by IL-4/IL-13 or by IFN-γ.


2004 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 1530-1536 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edna I. Gergel ◽  
Martha B. Furie

ABSTRACT Some diseases are characterized by prevalence in the affected tissues of type 1 T lymphocytes, which secrete gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and other proinflammatory cytokines. For example, type 1 T cells predominate in the lesions of patients with Lyme disease, which is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. We used an in vitro model of the blood vessel wall to test the premise that the vascular endothelium actively recruits circulating type 1 T cells to such lesions. When T lymphocytes isolated from human peripheral blood were examined, the populations that traversed monolayers of resting human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) or HUVEC stimulated by interleukin-1β or B. burgdorferi were markedly enriched for T cells that produced IFN-γ compared to the initially added population of T cells. No enrichment was seen for cells that produced interleukin-4, a marker for type 2 T lymphocytes. Very late antigen-4 and CD11/CD18 integrins mediated passage of the T cells across both resting and stimulated HUVEC, and the endothelium-derived chemokine CCL2 (monocyte chemoattractant protein 1) was responsible for the enhanced migration of T cells across stimulated HUVEC. These results suggest that the vascular endothelium may contribute to the selective accumulation of type 1 T cells in certain pathological lesions, including those of Lyme disease.


2008 ◽  
Vol 15 (8) ◽  
pp. 1171-1175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tjitske de Boer ◽  
Jaap T. van Dissel ◽  
Taco W. J. Kuijpers ◽  
Guus F. Rimmelzwaan ◽  
Frank P. Kroon ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT To investigate whether protective immune responses can be induced in the absence of normal interleukin-12/23/gamma interferon (IL-12/23/IFN-γ) axis signaling, we vaccinated with the seasonal influenza virus subunit vaccine two patients with complete IL-12/23 receptor β1 (IL-12/23Rβ1) deficiencies, two patients with partial IFN-γ receptor I (pIFN-γRI) deficiencies, and five healthy controls. Blood samples were analyzed before, 7 days after, and 28 days after vaccination. In most cases, antibody titers reached protective levels. Moreover, although T-cell responses in patients were lower than those observed in controls, significant influenza virus-specific T-cell proliferation, IFN-γ production, and numbers of IFN-γ-producing cells were found in all patients 7 days after the vaccination. Interestingly, influenza virus-specific IFN-γ responses were IL-12/23 independent, in striking contrast to mycobacterium-induced IFN-γ production. In conclusion, influenza virus vaccination induces IL-12/23-independent IFN-γ production by T cells and can result in sufficient humoral protection in both IL-12/23Rβ1- and pIFN-γRI-deficient individuals.


2003 ◽  
Vol 71 (4) ◽  
pp. 2002-2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irma Aguilar-Delfin ◽  
Peter J. Wettstein ◽  
David H. Persing

ABSTRACT We examined the role of the cytokines gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and interleukin-12 (IL-12) in the model of acute babesiosis with the WA1 Babesia. Mice genetically deficient in IFN-γ-mediated responses (IFNGR2KO mice) and IL-12-mediated responses (Stat4KO mice) were infected with the WA1 Babesia, and observations were made on the course of infection and cytokine responses. Levels of IFN-γ and IL-12 in serum increased 24 h after parasite inoculation. The augmented susceptibility observed in IFNGR2KO and Stat-4KO mice suggests that the early IL-12- and IFN-γ-mediated responses are involved in protection against acute babesiosis. Resistance appears to correlate with an increase in nitric oxide (NO) production. In order to assess the contribution of different cell subsets to resistance against the parasite, we also studied mice lacking B cells, CD4+ T cells, NK cells, and macrophages. Mice genetically deficient in B lymphocytes or CD4+ T lymphocytes were able to mount protective responses comparable to those of immunosufficient mice. In contrast, in vivo depletion of macrophages or NK cells resulted in elevated susceptibility to the infection. Our observations suggest that a crucial part of the response that protects from the pathogenic Babesia WA1 is mediated by macrophages and NK cells, probably through early production of IL-12 and IFN-γ, and induction of macrophage-derived effector molecules like NO.


2002 ◽  
Vol 70 (10) ◽  
pp. 5695-5705 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter L. W. Yun ◽  
Arthur A. DeCarlo ◽  
Charles Collyer ◽  
Neil Hunter

ABSTRACT Interleukin 12 (IL-12) is an efficient inducer and enhancer of gamma interferon (IFN-γ) production by both resting and activated T cells. There is evidence that human monocytes exposed to IFN-γ have enhanced ability to produce IL-12 when stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In this study, it was demonstrated that LPS from the oral periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis stimulated monocytes primed with IFN-γ to release IL-12, thereby enhancing IFN-γ accumulation in T-cell populations. P. gingivalis LPS was shown to enhance IL-12 induction of IFN-γ in T cells in a manner independent from TNF-α contribution. The levels of T-cell IL-12 receptors were not affected by P. gingivalis LPS and played only a minor role in the magnitude of the IFN-γ response. These data suggest that LPS from P. gingivalis establishes an activation loop with IL-12 and IFN-γ with potential to augment the production of inflammatory cytokines in relation to the immunopathology of periodontitis. We previously reported that the major cysteine proteinases (gingipains) copurifying with LPS in this organism were responsible for reduced IFN-γ accumulation in the presence of IL-12. However, the addition of the gingipains in the presence of LPS resulted in partial restoration of the IFN-γ levels. In the destructive periodontitis lesion, release of gingipains from the outer membrane (OM) of P. gingivalis could lead to the downregulation of Th1 responses, while gingipain associated with LPS in the OM or in OM vesicles released from the organism could have net stimulatory effects.


2010 ◽  
Vol 78 (6) ◽  
pp. 2653-2666 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hideyuki Shiomi ◽  
Atsuhiro Masuda ◽  
Shin Nishiumi ◽  
Masayuki Nishida ◽  
Tetsuya Takagawa ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Citrobacter rodentium, a murine model pathogen for enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, colonizes the surface of intestinal epithelial cells and causes mucosal inflammation. This bacterium is an ideal model for investigating pathogen-host immune interactions in the gut. It is well known that gene transcripts for Th1 cytokines are highly induced in colonic tissue from mice infected with C. rodentium. However, it remains to be seen whether the Th1 or Th2 cytokines produced by antigen-specific CD4+ T cells provide effective regulation of the host immune defense against C. rodentium infection. To investigate the antigen-specific immune responses, C. rodentium expressing ovalbumin (OVA-C. rodentium), a model antigen, was generated and used to define antigen-specific responses under gamma interferon (IFN-γ)-deficient or interleukin-4 (IL-4)-deficient conditions in vivo. The activation of antigen-specific CD4+ T cells and macrophage phagocytosis were evaluated in the presence of IFN-γ or IL-4 in vitro. IFN-γ-deficient mice exhibited a loss of body weight and a higher bacterial concentration in feces during OVA-C. rodentium infection than C57BL/6 (wild type) or IL-4-deficient mice. This occurred through the decreased efficiency of macrophage phagocytosis and the activation of antigen-specific CD4+ T cells. Furthermore, a deficiency in antigen-specific CD4+ T-cell-expressed IFN-γ led to a higher susceptibility to mucosal and gut-derived systemic OVA-C. rodentium infection. These results show that the IFN-γ produced by antigen-specific CD4+ T cells plays an important role in the defense against C. rodentium.


2007 ◽  
Vol 75 (11) ◽  
pp. 5338-5345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kee-Jong Hong ◽  
Jason R. Wickstrum ◽  
Hung-Wen Yeh ◽  
Michael J. Parmely

ABSTRACT The production of gamma interferon (IFN-γ) is a key step in the protective innate immune response to Francisella tularensis. Natural killer cells and T cells in the liver are important sources of this cytokine during primary F. tularensis infections, and interleukin-12 (IL-12) appears to be an essential coactivating cytokine for hepatic IFN-γ expression. The present study was undertaken to determine whether or not macrophages (Mφ) or dendritic cells (DC) provide coactivating signals for the liver IFN-γ response in vitro, whether IL-12 mediates these effects, and whether Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling is essential to induce this costimulatory activity. Both bone marrow-derived Mφ and DC significantly augmented the IFN-γ response of F. tularensis-challenged liver lymphocytes in vitro. While both cell types produced IL-12p40 in response to F. tularensis challenge, only DC secreted large quantities of IL-12p70. DC from both IL-12p35-deficient and TLR2-deficient mice failed to produce IL-12p70 and did not costimulate liver lymphocytes for IFN-γ production in response to viable F. tularensis organisms. Conversely, liver lymphocytes from TLR2-deficient mice cocultured with wild-type accessory cells produced IFN-γ at levels comparable to those for wild-type hepatic lymphocytes. These findings indicate that TLR2 controls hepatic lymphocyte IFN-γ responses to F. tularensis by regulating DC IL-12 production. While Mφ also coinduced hepatic IFN-γ production in response to F. tularensis, they did so in a fashion less dependent on TLR2.


2005 ◽  
Vol 73 (5) ◽  
pp. 2709-2717 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sadako Yoshizawa ◽  
Kazuhiro Tateda ◽  
Tetsuya Matsumoto ◽  
Fumio Gondaira ◽  
Shuichi Miyazaki ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT We examined the roles of Th1-Th2 cytokine cross talk in Legionella pneumophila-infected bone marrow-derived (BM) macrophages in the presence of costimulation with interleukin-12 (IL-12) and IL-18. Treatment with gamma interferon (IFN-γ) alone or treatment with IL-12 in combination with IL-18 resulted in a 3- or 2-log reduction in bacterial numbers, respectively, in BM macrophages, whereas treatment with IL-12 or IL-18 alone had no effect. Significant amounts of IFN-γ were detected in the culture supernatants of infected macrophages stimulated with IL-12 and IL-18 in combination but not independently. Neutralization of IFN-γ by antibody completely abolished the growth inhibitory effects of IL-12 and IL-18. Interestingly, higher infectivity ratios of L. pneumophila or the addition of increasing concentrations of heat-killed bacteria (HKB) suppressed the production of IFN-γ, which resulted in the increased intracellular growth of bacteria. Significant amounts of IL-10 were detected in culture supernatants when Legionella-infected macrophages were cocultured with HKB. Furthermore, neutralization of IL-10 by antibody resulted in an increase in IFN-γ production by infected BM macrophages when cocultured with HKB. Treatment of HKB with trypsin but not polymyxin B attenuated the growth-promoting effects of HKB, suggesting the involvement of a protein component(s) in regulation of the growth of L. pneumophila. These findings demonstrate a crucial role of Th1-Th2 cross talk in L. pneumophila-infected BM macrophages. Our results also suggest that L. pneumophila modulates the cytokine balance from IFN-γ-driven Th1 to more Th2 responses, likely through the induction of IL-10 by a bacterial protein component(s). These data provide new insights not only into the cellular mechanisms of Th1-Th2 cross talk in Legionella-infected macrophages but also into the pathogenesis of L. pneumophila pneumonia in humans.


2002 ◽  
Vol 70 (6) ◽  
pp. 3295-3299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marygorret Obonyo ◽  
Donald G. Guiney ◽  
Julia Harwood ◽  
Joshua Fierer ◽  
Sheri P. Cole

ABSTRACT Gamma interferon (IFN-γ) has been proposed to play an important role in Helicobacter-related gastritis. Using the IFN-γ gene knockout (IFN-γ−/−) mouse model and a murine gastric epithelial cell line, GSM06, we demonstrated that Helicobacter pylori maximally induced macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA only in wild-type mice. MIP-2 and iNOS mRNA were also induced by H. pylori in GSM06 cells. Induction of cyclooxygenase 2 mRNA through IFN-γ was demonstrated in GSM06 cells. These data indicate that IFN-γ mediates the induction of MIP-2 and iNOS mRNA expression by H. pylori in mice.


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