Interleukin-6 is required for parasite specific response and host resistance to Trypanosoma cruzi. |
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Authors: | Wenda Gao Miercio A Pereira |
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Affiliation: | Parasitology Research Center, Department of Pathology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA. |
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Abstract: | Infection with Trypanosoma cruzi, the agent of Chagas' disease, results in elevated levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in serum and infected tissues. However, it remains unknown whether IL-6 plays a role in host defence against T. cruzi. To determine whether IL-6 underlies disease progression, we followed the time course of T. cruzi-infected mice bearing IL-6 +/+ and minus sign/minus sign genotypes, respectively. We found that IL-6 minus sign/minus sign mice were more susceptible to T. cruzi infection as they exhibited about 3-fold higher parasitaemia and died earlier than wild-type animals. Unlike what might be expected, T. cruzi-infected IL-6 minus sign/minus sign mice did not show at peak infection a decrease in the secretion of IFN-gamma, a Th1 cytokine crucial for controlling the parasite. Instead, they exhibited a much reduced splenocyte recall response to T. cruzi antigens. Our results suggest that IL-6 mediates anti-parasite protective responses against T. cruzi. |
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Keywords: | Chagas’ disease Trypanosome Knockout IL-6 Immunity |
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