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The Importance of TGF-β in Murine Visceral Leishmaniasis
Journal article   Peer reviewed

The Importance of TGF-β in Murine Visceral Leishmaniasis

Mary E Wilson, Betty M Young, Beverly L Davidson, Kimberly A Mente and Stephen E McGowan
The Journal of immunology (1950), Vol.161(11), pp.6148-6155
12/01/1998
DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.161.11.6148
PMID: 9834100

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Abstract

IFN-γ is critical for the cure of leishmaniasis in humans and mice. BALB/c mice are genetically susceptible to infection with the visceralizing species of Leishmania, L. chagasi. We have evidence that a soluble factor(s) inhibits IFN-γ production by cultured liver granuloma cells from BALB/c mice during L. chagasi infection. In contrast, liver granulomas from C3H.HeJ mice, which are genetically resistant to L. chagasi infection, produce abundant IFN-γ. According to ELISAs and neutralization studies, there was not evidence that the Th2-type cytokines IL-10 or IL-4 contributed to IFN-γ suppression. However, both Ab neutralization and immunohistochemistry showed that granuloma-derived TGF-β was, at least in part, responsible for inhibiting IFN-γ release by CD4+ cells in BALB/c liver granuloma cultures. Consistently, TGF-β levels were high in liver granulomas from susceptible BALB/c mice but low in resistant C3H mice or in BALB/c mice that were immunized against L. chagasi disease. Administration of recombinant adenovirus expressing TGF-β (AdV-TGFβ) but not IL-10 (AdV-IL10) caused genetically resistant C3H mice to become significantly more susceptible to L. chagasi infection. In contrast, either AdV-TGFβ or AdV-IL10 could abrogate the protective immune response achieved by immunization of BALB/c mice. We conclude that locally secreted TGF-β inhibits Th1-associated cure of murine visceral leishmaniasis caused by L. chagasi, independently of Th2-type cytokines.
Antigens, Protozoan - immunology Granuloma - metabolism Genetic Vectors - administration & dosage Vaccination Liver Diseases, Parasitic - immunology Leishmaniasis, Visceral - immunology Transforming Growth Factor beta - biosynthesis Antigens, Protozoan - pharmacology Liver Diseases, Parasitic - metabolism Interferon-gamma - antagonists & inhibitors Adenoviridae - genetics Disease Models, Animal Transforming Growth Factor beta - immunology Genetic Vectors - immunology Cells, Cultured Cytokines - secretion Solubility Transforming Growth Factor beta - physiology Leishmaniasis, Visceral - metabolism Leishmaniasis, Visceral - pathology Mice, Inbred C3H Animals Leishmania infantum - immunology Granuloma - immunology Interleukin-10 - biosynthesis Mice Mice, Inbred BALB C Kinetics Cytokines - biosynthesis Interferon-gamma - biosynthesis

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