Local immune response of Canarian Majorera goats infected with Teladorsagia circumcincta

Background Due to increased anthelmintic resistance, alternative methods to drugs are necessary to control gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs). Some of the most promising alternatives are based on the immune response of the host, such as the selection of genetically resistant breeds or the use of vaccines against these parasites. Given the limited information available on the immune response against GINs in goats, this study investigated the local immune response of goat kids of an indigenous Canary Islands breed (Majorera breed) experimentally infected with Teladorsagia circumcincta, one of the most pathogenic and prevalent GIN species. Methods For this purpose, the relationship between different parasitological (number of mature and immature worms, worm length, and number of intrauterine eggs) and immunological parameters at the local level (related to both the humoral and cellular immune response) was analyzed at early (1 week post-infection [wpi]) and late (8 wpi) stages of infection. Results Primary infection of goat kids with T. circumcincta infective larvae (L3) generated a complex immune response that could be defined as Th2 type, characterized by increased infiltration in abomasal tissues of several effector cells as well as a progressive presence of specific antibodies against parasitic antigens in the gastric mucus. Cellular responses were evidenced from 1 wpi onward, showing an increase in antigen-presenting cells and various lymphocyte subsets in the gastric mucosa. Conclusions The complexity of the host response was evidenced by statistically significant changes in the number of all these subpopulations (MHCII+, CD4+, CD8+, γδ+, CD45R+, IgA+, and IgG+), as well as in the evolution of the relative cytokine gene expression. From a functional point of view, negative associations were observed between the number of most of the immune cells (CD4, IgA, IgG, and CD45R cells) and parameters that could be related to the fecundity of worms, a phenomenon that was especially evident when the number of IgG and CD45R cells or the specific IgA levels of the gastric mucus were compared with parasitological parameters such as the female worm length or fecal egg counts at 8 wpi. Graphical Abstract

Influence of Heterologous and Homologous Vaccines, and Their Components, on the Host Immune Response and Protection Against Experimental Caprine Paratuberculosis

Vaccination against paratuberculosis, a chronic disease of ruminants caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map), has been considered as the most effective control method. However, protection is incomplete, and the mechanisms operating in the response of the animals to vaccination are not fully understood. Therefore, this study analyzed the immune response and the effects on protection against Map infection, elicited by paratuberculosis (Silirum®) and tuberculosis (heat-inactivated M. bovis [HIMB]) vaccines and their components in a caprine experimental model. Fifty goat kids were divided into 10 groups (n = 5) according to their vaccination (Silirum®, HIMB and nonvaccinated), immunization (inactivated bacteria or adjuvant), and/or infection. Oral challenge with Map was performed 45 days postvaccination/immunization (dpv), and animals were euthanized at 190 dpv. Peripheral immune response and proportion of lymphocyte subpopulations were assessed monthly by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and flow cytometry analysis, respectively. Local immune response, proportion of tissue lymphocyte subpopulations, Map detection (polymerase chain reaction), and histological examination were conducted in gut-associated lymphoid tissues. All infected groups developed paratuberculosis granulomatous lesions despite vaccination or immunization. The Silirum® and HIMB-vaccinated groups showed a considerable lesion reduction consistent with a significant peripheral cellular and humoral immune response. Besides, a lower number of granulomas were observed in groups immunized with inactivated bacteria and adjuvants in comparison to nonvaccinated and infected group. However, despite not being significant, this reduction was even higher in adjuvant immunized groups, which developed milder granulomatous lesion with no detectable peripheral immune responses associated with immunization. No changes in the peripheral and local proportion of lymphocyte subsets or local immune response were detected in relation to either vaccination/immunization or infection. Despite that paratuberculosis and tuberculosis vaccination showed a partial and cross-protection against Map infection, respectively, only histological examination could assess the progression of infection in these animals. In addition, the pattern observed in the reduction of the lesions in adjuvant immunized groups suggests the possible involvement of a nonspecific immune response that reduces the development of granulomatous lesions.

Chitin-induced systemic disease resistance in rice requires both OsCERK1 and OsCEBiP and is mediated via perturbation of cell-wall biogenesis in leaves

SummaryChitin is a well-known elicitor of disease resistance whose recognition by plants is crucial to perceive fungal infections. Chitin can induce both a local immune response and a systemic disease resistance when provided as a supplement in soils. Unlike local immune responses, how chitin-induced systemic disease resistance is deployed has not been studied in detail.In this study, we evaluated systemic disease resistance against the fungal pathogen Bipolaris oryzae by performing a transcriptome analysis and monitoring cell-wall composition in rice plants grown in chitin-supplemented soils. We also examined the local immune response to chitin by measuring the production of reactive oxygen species in leaves.Chitins induced both local immune response and systemic disease resistance with differing requirements for the receptors OsCERK1 and OsCEBiP. Transcriptome analysis suggested that a perturbation in cell-wall biogenesis is involved in the induction of systemic disease resistance, an idea which was supported by the induction of disease resistance by treatment with a cellulose biosynthesis inhibitor and alterations of cell-wall composition.These findings suggest that chitin-induced systemic disease resistance in rice is caused by a perturbation of cell-wall biogenesis in leaves through long-distance signalling after recognition of chitins by OsCERK1 and OsCEBiP.

The gastrointestinal tract and COVID-19. Observations after the year of the pandemic. Part 1. Patients with diseases of the upper gastrointestinal tract

The most common clinical manifestations of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) include fever, cough, dyspnea, sore throat, muscle or bone aches, chills, and headache. Nevertheless, gastrointestinal infections have been reported, with symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and lack of appetite. Although is not clear the mechanisms responsible for the development of diarrhea in COVID-19, the current hypothesis is that the direct viral infection on the intestinal tissue and local immune response to the virus may be involved. Additionally, after gastrointestinal SARS-CoV-2 infection some patients may develop alterations in the gastrointestinal microbiota. In this review we outlined the important GI manifestations of COVID-19 and discussed the possible mechanisms and aspects relating to their diagnosis and management.

Effect of Insect Live Larvae as Environmental Enrichment on Poultry Gut Health: Gut Mucin Composition, Microbiota and Local Immune Response Evaluation

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Hermetia illucens (HI) and Tenebrio molitor (TM) live larvae as environmental enrichment on the mucin composition, local immune response and microbiota of broilers. A total of 180 four-day-old male broiler chickens (Ross 308) were randomly allotted to three dietary treatments (six replicates/treatment; ten animals/replicate): (i) control (C); (ii) C+HI; (iii) C+TM. Live larvae were distributed based on 5% of the expected daily feed intake. At slaughter (39 days of age), samples of duodenum, jejunum and ileum (twelve animals/diet) were submitted to mucin histochemical evaluation. Expression of MUC-2 and cytokines was evaluated by rt-qPCR in jejunum. Mucin staining intensity was not influenced by diet (p > 0.05); however, this varied depending on the intestinal segment (p < 0.001). No significant differences were recorded for IL-4, IL-6 TNF-α, MUC-2 and INF-γ gene expression in jejunum, while IL-2 was lower in the TM group compared to HI and C (p = 0.044). Caecal microbiota showed higher abundance of Clostridium, Saccharibacteria and Victivallaceae in the HI group, while Collinsella was higher in the TM group. The results suggested that live insect larvae did not impair mucin composition or local immune response, and can slightly improve caecal microbiota by enhancing a minor fraction of short chain fatty acid-producing taxa.

Immunoregulatory Functions of Interferons During Genital HSV-2 Infection

Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection is one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted infections that disproportionately impacts women worldwide. Currently, there are no vaccines or curative treatments, resulting in life-long infection. The mucosal environment of the female reproductive tract (FRT) is home to a complex array of local immune defenses that must be carefully coordinated to protect against genital HSV-2 infection, while preventing excessive inflammation to prevent disease symptoms. Crucial to the defense against HSV-2 infection in the FRT are three classes of highly related and integrated cytokines, type I, II, and III interferons (IFN). These three classes of cytokines control HSV-2 infection and reduce tissue damage through a combination of directly inhibiting viral replication, as well as regulating the function of resident immune cells. In this review, we will examine how interferons are induced and their critical role in how they shape the local immune response to HSV-2 infection in the FRT.

Local Immune Response of Canarian Majorera Goats Primary Infected With Teladorsagia Circumcincta

Due to increased anthelmintic resistance, alternative methods to drugs are necessary to control gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN). Some of the most promising alternatives for their sustainability are based on the immune response of the host, such as the selection of genetically resistant breeds or the use of vaccines against these parasites. Given the limited information available on the immune response against GIN in goats, this study was carried out on the local immune response of goat kids of a Canary Islands indigenous breed (Majorera breed) experimentally infected with Teladorsagia circumcincta, one of the most pathogenic and prevalent GIN species. For this purpose, the relationship between different parasitological and immunological parameters at local level (both related to the humoral and cellular immune responses) have been analyzed at early (1 week post-infection –wpi-) and late (8 wpi) stages of infection.Primoinfection of goat kids with T. circumcincta L3 generates a complex immune response that could be defined as Th2 type, characterized by an increase of infiltration in abomasal tissues of several effector cells as well as a progressive presence of specific antibodies against parasitic antigens in the gastric mucus. These cellular responses could be evidenced from 1 wpi onward, showing an increase in the gastric mucosa of antigen presenting cells and various lymphocyte subsets. The complexity of the responses developed is evidenced by the statistically significant changes in numbers of all these subpopulations, as well as in the evolution of the relative cytokine gene expression. From a functional point of view, negative associations were observed between the number of most of these cells (CD4, IgA, IgG, and CD45R cells) and parameters that could be related to the fecundity of worms, a phenomenon that was especially evident when the number of IgG or CD45R cells or the specific IgA levels of the mucus were compared with parasitological parameters such as the lenght of female worms or faecal egg counts at 8wpi.

The Immune Landscape of Molecular Bacterial Vaginosis and HPV Natural History

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a highly prevalent condition that is associated with acquisition of sexually transmitted infections and adverse reproductive outcomes. It has been proposed that BV’s role as a pathogenic condition is mediated via bacteria-induced local inflammation. However, the complex interplay between vaginal microbes and host immune factors has yet to be clearly elucidated. We demonstrate that 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and a novel pipeline can be used to generate a molecular Nugent BV score (molBV) corresponding to the Nugent score 0 - 10. This algorithm is independent of the region of 16S rRNA amplified, the sequencing platform and source population. We further identify two local immune cytokine patterns associated with this molecular Nugent score (q-values<0.001). The main immune response is represented by an elevated IL-1β/IP-10 ratio, whereas a second pattern consists of an increased TNF-α/MIP-1β ratio. To evaluate the biological significance of molBV-BV and the local immune response, we show that clearance of high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) infections (HZ=1.86, 95% CI: 1.19-2.9) was associated with immune profiles, but not molBV-BV when both were considered in the model. In contrast, the TNF-α/MIP-1β signature was associated with progression of incident infections to CIN2+ (OR = 2.81, 95% CI: 1.62-5.42), but not HR-HPV clearance. Thus, BV is a heterogeneous condition that activates different arms of the local immune response, which in turn are independent risk factors for HR-HPV clearance and progression.