Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
2-2012
Journal
PLoS Pathogens
Volume
Volume 8, Issue 2
Inclusive Pages
Article number e1002520
Abstract
The mucosal cytokine response of healthy humans to parasitic helminths has never been reported. We investigated the systemic and mucosal cytokine responses to hookworm infection in experimentally infected, previously hookworm naive individuals from non-endemic areas. We collected both peripheral blood and duodenal biopsies to assess the systemic immune response, as well as the response at the site of adult worm establishment. Our results show that experimental hookworm infection leads to a strong systemic and mucosal Th2 (IL-4, IL-5, IL-9 and IL-13) and regulatory (IL-10 and TGF-β) response, with some evidence of a Th1 (IFN-γ and IL-2) response. Despite upregulation after patency of both IL-15 and ALDH1A2, a known Th17-inducing combination in inflammatory diseases, we saw no evidence of a Th17 (IL-17) response. Moreover, we observed strong suppression of mucosal IL-23 and upregulation ofIL-22 during established hookworm infection, suggesting a potential mechanism by which Th17 responses are suppressed, and highlighting the potential that hookworms and their secreted proteins offer as therapeutics for human inflammatory diseases.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
APA Citation
Gaze, S., McSorley, H. J., Daveson, J., Jones, D., Bethony, J. M., Oliveira, L. M., Speare, R., McCarthy, J.S., Engwerda, C.R., Croese, J., Loukas, A. (2012). Characterising the mucosal and systemic immune responses to experimental human hookworm infection. PLoS Pathogens, 8(2), e1002520.
Peer Reviewed
1
Open Access
1
Included in
Medical Immunology Commons, Medical Microbiology Commons, Parasitic Diseases Commons, Parasitology Commons
Comments
Reproduced with permission of PLoS Pathogens