Cited by 60Parasitic Diseases Research and TreatmentParasites and Host InteractionsHelminth infection and control

Interleukin-4 Is Essential for the Control of Microfilariae in Murine Infection with the Filaria Litomosoides sigmodontis

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Volkmann, Lars, Saeftel, Michael, Bain, Odile, Fischer, Kerstin, Fleischer, Bernhard, Hoerauf, Achim·2001·Infection and Immunity

Abstract

Litomosoides sigmodontis is the only filaria which develops from infective larvae into microfilaria-producing adults in immunocompetent laboratory mice. In this study we report that interleukin-4 knockout (IL-4 KO) mice have an up to 100-fold-higher and a significantly prolonged microfilaremia compared to wild-type BALB/c mice, as well as 20 times more microfilariae in the thoracic cavity, the site of infection. While worm development and adult worm persistence were equivalent in IL-4 KO and wild-type mice, the fertility and length of adult female worms in IL-4 KO mice was clearly enhanced. The high susceptibility to microfilariae in IL-4 KO mice required the presence of adult worms in a full infection cycle since microfilariae loads did not differ much between IL-4 KO and wild-type mice when purified microfilariae were injected into mice. In addition, we found that eosinophilia was diminished and immunoglobulin E (IgE) was absent in IL-4 KO mice. IgE, however, does not seem to be the essential factor for microfilarial containment since microfilaremia was not elevated in B-cell KO mice. In conclusion, IL-4 is shown for the first time to be essential for the control of microfilarial loads but not of adult worm loads in a fully permissive murine filarial infection. IL-4 dependent effector pathways seem to operate on adult worms rather than directly on microfilariae.

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Crossref · 10.1128/iai.69.5.2950-2956.2001

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Authors
Volkmann, L., Saeftel, M., Bain, O., Fischer, K., Fleischer, B., & Hoerauf, A.
Affiliations
  • Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (DE)
  • Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
Venue
Infection and Immunity
Published
2001-05
Volume
69
Issue
5
Pages
2950-2956
ISSN
  • 0019-9567 (ISSN-L)
  • 1098-5522
OpenAlex
W2117001172
Cited by
60
References
42
Citations by year
2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 2
FWCI
4.35
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Infection and Immunity (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › Parasitic Diseases Research and Treatment
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Parasitology › Parasites and Host Interactions
  • Health Sciences › Veterinary › Small Animals › Helminth infection and control
Keywords
IL-4, Litomosoides sigmodontis, filariasis, microfilariae, microfilaremia, eosinophilia, immunoglobulin E, IL-4 knockout mice, host-parasite interactions
MeSH terms
Animals, Female, Fertility, Filariasis, Filarioidea, Immunoglobulin E, Mice, Inbred BALB C, Neutrophils, Nitric Oxide, Interleukin-4, Mice, Knockout, Mice

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