| First Author | Murdock BJ | Year | 2014 |
| Journal | Infect Immun | Volume | 82 |
| Issue | 3 | Pages | 937-48 |
| PubMed ID | 24324191 | Mgi Jnum | J:209297 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:5566935 | Doi | 10.1128/IAI.01477-13 |
| Citation | Murdock BJ, et al. (2014) Interleukin-17A enhances host defense against cryptococcal lung infection through effects mediated by leukocyte recruitment, activation, and gamma interferon production. Infect Immun 82(3):937-48 |
| abstractText | Infection of C57BL/6 mice with the moderately virulent Cryptococcus neoformans strain 52D models the complex adaptive immune response observed in HIV-negative patients with persistent fungal lung infections. In this model, Th1 and Th2 responses evolve over time, yet the contribution of interleukin-17A (IL-17A) to antifungal host defense is unknown. In this study, we show that fungal lung infection promoted an increase in Th17 T cells that persisted to 8 weeks postinfection. Our comparison of fungal lung infection in wild-type mice and IL-17A-deficient mice (IL-17A(-/-) mice; C57BL/6 genetic background) demonstrated that late fungal clearance was impaired in the absence of IL-17A. This finding was associated with reduced intracellular containment of the organism within lung macrophages and deficits in the accumulation of total lung leukocytes, including specific reductions in CD11c+ CD11b+ myeloid cells (dendritic cells and exudate macrophages), B cells, and CD8+ T cells, and a nonsignificant trend in the reduction of lung neutrophils. Although IL-17A did not alter the total number of CD4 T cells, decreases in the total number of CD4 T cells and CD8 T cells expressing gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) were observed in IL-17A(-/-) mice. Lastly, expression of major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC-II) and the costimulatory molecules CD80 and CD86 on CD11c+ CD11b+ myeloid cells was diminished in IL-17A(-/-) mice. Collectively, these data indicate that IL-17A enhances host defenses against a moderately virulent strain of C. neoformans through effects on leukocyte recruitment, IFN-gamma production by CD4 and CD8 T cells, and the activation of lung myeloid cells. |
