Characteristics of Schistosoma japonicum infection induced IFN‐γ and IL‐4 co‐expressing plasticity Th cells |
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| Authors: | Hefei Cha Jiale Qu Mei Wang Lu Li Sifei Yu Changyou Wu Xiaoping Tang Jun Huang |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Institute of Immunology, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China;2. Institute of Immunology, Guangzhou, China;3. Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control Research of Ministry of Education, Sun Yat‐sen University, Guangzhou, China;4. Department of Infectious Diseases, Affiliated No. 8 Guangzhou People's Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China |
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| Abstract: | Schistosoma japonicum infection can induce granulomatous inflammation and cause tissue damage in the mouse liver. The cytokine secretion profile of T helper (Th) cells depends on both the nature of the activating stimulus and the local microenvironment (e.g. cytokines and other soluble factors). In the present study, we found an accumulation of large numbers of IFN‐γ+ IL‐4+ CD4+ T cells in mouse livers. This IFN‐γ+ IL‐4+ cell population increased from 0·68 ± 0·57% in uninfected mice to 7·05 ± 3·0% by week 4 following infection and to 9·6 ± 5·28% by week 6, before decreasing to 6·3 ± 5·9% by week 8 in CD4 T cells. Moreover, IFN‐γ+ IL‐4+ Th cells were also found in mouse spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes 6 weeks after infection. The majority of the IFN‐γ+ IL‐4+ Th cells were thought to be related to a state of immune activation, and some were memory T cells. Moreover, we found that these S. japonicum infection‐induced IFN‐γ+ IL‐4+ cells could express interleukin‐2 (IL‐2), IL‐9, IL‐17 and high IL‐10 levels at 6 weeks after S. japonicum infection. Taken together, our data suggest the existence of a population of IFN‐γ+ IL‐4+ plasticity effector/memory Th cells following S. japonicum infection in C57BL/6 mice. |
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| Keywords: | CD4 T cells cytokines interferon‐γ interleukin‐4 liver
Schistosoma japonicum
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