| First Author | Duthie MS | Year | 2002 |
| Journal | Infect Immun | Volume | 70 |
| Issue | 1 | Pages | 36-48 |
| PubMed ID | 11748161 | Mgi Jnum | J:74567 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:2158626 | Doi | 10.1128/IAI.70.1.36-48.2002 |
| Citation | Duthie MS, et al. (2002) During Trypanosoma cruzi infection CD1d-restricted NK T cells limit parasitemia and augment the antibody response to a glycophosphoinositol-modified surface protein. Infect Immun 70(1):36-48 |
| abstractText | Trypanosoma cruzi is a protozoan parasite that chronically infects many mammalian species and in humans causes Chagas' disease, a chronic inflammatory disease. The parasite expresses glycophosphoinositol (GPI), which potently stimulates interleukin 12 (IL-12) production. During T. cruzi infection IL-12, and possibly GPI, might stimulate NK T cells to affect the protective and chronic inflammatory responses. Here we report that during T. cruzi infection CD1d-restricted NK T cells are stimulated as NK T-cell-deficient mice have greater parasitemia. Furthermore, during T. cruzi infection the percentages of NK T cells in the liver and spleen become decreased for prolonged periods of time, and in vitro stimulation of NK T cells derived from livers of chronically infected mice, compared to uninfected mice, results in increased gamma interferon and IL-4 secretion. Moreover, in NK T-cell-deficient mice the chronic-phase antibody response to a GPI-modified surface protein is decreased. These results indicate that, during the acute infection, NK T cells limit parasitemia and that, during the chronic phase, NK T cells augment the antibody response. Thus, during T. cruzi infection the quality of an individual's NK T-cell response can affect the level of parasitemia and parasite tissue burden, the intensity of the chronic inflammatory responses, and possibly the outcome of Chagas' disease. |
