| First Author | Rodríguez-Sosa M | Year | 2004 |
| Journal | Infect Immun | Volume | 72 |
| Issue | 8 | Pages | 4552-60 |
| PubMed ID | 15271915 | Mgi Jnum | J:91756 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3050708 | Doi | 10.1128/IAI.72.8.4552-4560.2004 |
| Citation | Rodriguez-Sosa M, et al. (2004) A STAT4-dependent Th1 response is required for resistance to the helminth parasite Taenia crassiceps. Infect Immun 72(8):4552-60 |
| abstractText | To determine the role of STAT4-dependent Th1 responses in the regulation of immunity to the helminth parasite Taenia crassiceps, we monitored infections with this parasite in resistant mice lacking the STAT4 gene. While T. crassiceps-infected STAT4(+/+) mice rapidly resolved the infection, STAT4(-/-) mice were highly susceptible to infection and displayed large parasite loads. Moreover, the inability of STAT4(-/-) mice to control the infection was associated with the induction of an antigen-specific Th2-type response characterized by significantly higher levels of Th2-associated immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) and total IgE as well as interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-10, and IL-13 than those in STAT4(+/+) mice, who produced significantly more gamma interferon. Furthermore, early after infection, macrophages from STAT4(-/-) mice produced lower levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-12, tumor necrosis factor alpha, IL-1 beta, and nitric oxide (NO) than those from STAT4(+/+) mice, suggesting a pivotal role for macrophages in mediating protection against cysticercosis. These findings demonstrate a critical role for the STAT4 signaling pathway in the development of a Th1-type immune response that is essential for mediating protection against the larval stage of T. crassiceps infection. |
