Citokines network in experimental infection by Echinococcus granulosus

MOURGLIA G; MARQUÉS J; CHABALGOITY A; FRAGA R; MERINO M; ANEZCUA-VESSELY M; GRUPPI A; CUCHER M; ROSENZVIT M; DEMATTEIS S

Congreso; XXIII International Congress of Hydatidology; 2009

Cytokines network in experimental infection by Echinococcus granulosus Mourglia G.(1), Marqués J.M.(2), Chabalgoity A.(2), Fraga R.(1), Merino M.C.(3), Amezcua-Vessely M.C.(3), Gruppi A.(3), Cucher M.(4), Rosenzvit M.(4) and Dematteis S.(1) (1)Cátedra de Inmunología, Dpto. Biociencias, Facultad de Química, UdelaR., Uruguay; (2) Laboratorio Investigación en Vacunas, Dpto. de Desarrollo Biotecnológico, Instituto de Higiene, UdelaR, Uruguay; (3)Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina; (4)Dpto. de Microbiología, Parasitología e Inmunología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Intraperitoneal inoculation of protoscoleces into immunocompetent mice is the accepted model of secondary hydatidosis. Previously, we have reported that experimentally infected Balb/c mice develop an early systemic type-2 cytokine response, not associated with protection. Moreover, we have obtained in vitro as well as in vivo evidence suggesting IFN-γ could be relevant in parasite killing. Based on these results we have hypothesized that the early type-2 cytokine response could be actively induced by the parasite. The first approach to analyze this hypothesis was focused on the analysis of the E. granulosus-experimental host relationship at the local level. Results have shown that before day five of infection, the local cytokine pattern was clearly dominated by type-1 cytokines expression, switched later to a type-2 pattern. This results support the idea that the host’s immune system is able to quickly mount an anti-parasite effective response, which is then biased towards a more permissive one. The second strategy aimed at the evaluation of the particular relevance parasitic antigens have in the cytokine response polarization. We have analyzed the ability of carbohydrate enriched protoscolex antigens to induce cytokine secretion by peritoneal B cells from naïve Balb/c mice. Results have shown that such antigens are able to bind B cells as well as to induce cytokines secretion by purified B1. This suggests peritoneal B1 cells stimulation could be an important mechanism in the polarization of the cytokine response. Finally, the third strategy was focused on the analysis of the different susceptibility observed among Balb/c and C57Bl/6 infected mice. Preliminary results have shown a positive correlation between the systemic type-2 cytokine response and the higher susceptibility to infection. On the basis of all these results (and others), we are currently analyzing different strategies for immune intervention in order to induce protective responses. Acknowledgments: PEDECIBA, CSIC (UdelaR), CONICYT.