Trypanosoma cruzi infection at skin interface

SEBASTIÁN BIAGINI; BRENDA GUTIERREZ; PONCINI CV; STELLA MARIS GONZÁLEZ CAPPA

Freiburg

Simposio; Development of Tissue- and Pathogen- specific Cellular Innate Immunity International Symposium; 2017

Trypanosoma cruzi is an intracellular protozoan parasite that affects millions of people in Latin America. During the last decade, it has been increasingly detected in North America and many European countries. Symptoms are variable, and Chagas disease occurs in the third part of infected patients. The experimental infection could be lethal. Nevertheless, a common feature between human and mouse infection is the antiparasite response delayed in time.In Latin America, the infection commonly occurs by vectorial transmission and the portal of entry includes the skin. Macrophages are permissive to T. cruzi and are considered target cells for the parasite multiplication. However, the events occurring immediately after the parasite is deposited into the mucous membranes or injured skin remain unknown.The skin constitutes a complex network that includes, among others, myeloid cell populations. Phenotype, localization and functional properties define the identity of cell subsets. In the present work, we observed that while no macrophages and few neutrophils and monocytes (Mo) were recruited into the skin, infection elicited rapid mobilization of Ly6C+ Mo to draining lymph nodes and spleen. Over time, this population became enriched in CD11b+Ly6C+CD11c+MHCII+CD86+ cells resembling MoDCs, that not only produced TNF and nitric oxide, but also IL10 and displayed a poor capacity to induce T cell proliferation. In addition, we found that T. cruzi strains can condition the repertoire of cells infiltrating the skin after intradermal infection. Skin harbours many easy accessible APCs. Given the potential of manipulating these cells, this work provides an attractive model for testing therapeutic approaches, and new insights into a highimpact research topic.