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Szabo EK, Bowhay C, Forrester E, Liu H, Dong B, Coria AL, Perera S, Fung B, Badawadagi N, Gaio C, Bailey K, Ritz M, Bowron J, Ariyaratne A, Finney CAM. Heligmosomoides bakeri and Toxoplasma gondii co-infection leads to increased mortality associated with changes in immune resistance in the lymphoid compartment and disease pathology. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0292408. [PMID: 38950025 PMCID: PMC11216590 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Co-infections are a common reality but understanding how the immune system responds in this context is complex and can be unpredictable. Heligmosomoides bakeri (parasitic roundworm, previously Heligmosomoides polygyrus) and Toxoplasma gondii (protozoan parasite) are well studied organisms that stimulate a characteristic Th2 and Th1 response, respectively. Several studies have demonstrated reduced inflammatory cytokine responses in animals co-infected with such organisms. However, while general cytokine signatures have been examined, the impact of the different cytokine producing lymphocytes on parasite control/clearance is not fully understood. We investigated five different lymphocyte populations (NK, NKT, γδ T, CD4+ T and CD8+ T cells), five organs (small intestine, Peyer's patches, mesenteric lymph nodes, spleen and liver), and 4 cytokines (IFN©, IL-4, IL-10 and IL-13) at two different time points (days 5 and 10 post T. gondii infection). We found that co-infected animals had significantly higher mortality than either single infection. This was accompanied by transient and local changes in parasite loads and cytokine profiles. Despite the early changes in lymphocyte and cytokine profiles, severe intestinal pathology in co-infected mice likely contributed to early mortality due to significant damage by both parasites in the small intestine. Our work demonstrates the importance of taking a broad view during infection research, studying multiple cell types, organs/tissues and time points to link and/or uncouple immunological from pathological findings. Our results provide insights into how co-infection with parasites stimulating different arms of the immune system can lead to drastic changes in infection dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edina K. Szabo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Host-Parasite Interactions Research Training Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Christina Bowhay
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Host-Parasite Interactions Research Training Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Emma Forrester
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Host-Parasite Interactions Research Training Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Holly Liu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Host-Parasite Interactions Research Training Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Beverly Dong
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Host-Parasite Interactions Research Training Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Aralia Leon Coria
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Host-Parasite Interactions Research Training Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Shashini Perera
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Host-Parasite Interactions Research Training Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Beatrice Fung
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Host-Parasite Interactions Research Training Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Namratha Badawadagi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Host-Parasite Interactions Research Training Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Camila Gaio
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Host-Parasite Interactions Research Training Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Kayla Bailey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Host-Parasite Interactions Research Training Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Manfred Ritz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Host-Parasite Interactions Research Training Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Joel Bowron
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Host-Parasite Interactions Research Training Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Anupama Ariyaratne
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Host-Parasite Interactions Research Training Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Constance A. M. Finney
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Host-Parasite Interactions Research Training Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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Lepage AC, Buzoni-Gatel D, Bout DT, Kasper LH. Gut-Derived Intraepithelial Lymphocytes Induce Long Term Immunity Against Toxoplasma gondii. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 1998. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.161.9.4902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) of the intestine represent an important barrier in the prevention of infection against orally acquired pathogens. Adoptive transfer of Ag-primed IEL into a naive host can protect against challenge. Using a murine model, we demonstrate in two genetically distinct mouse strains (C57BL/6 and CBA/J) that protective IEL can be isolated at specific times after oral infection with cysts containing bradyzoites. Adoptive transfer of IEL obtained from the intestine of infected mice at these specific times can provide long term protection, as determined by mortality and cyst number against challenge. The protective IEL appear to be CD8+, TCR-α/β and are at least partially dependent upon the presence of TCR-γ/δ T cells in the host. Endogenous production of the pivotal cytokine, IFN-γ, is essential for host immunity. These findings demonstrate that gut-derived IEL represent a potentially important mechanism to provide long term immunity to the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne C. Lepage
- *Departments of Medicine and Microbiology, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover NH 03755; and
| | - Dominique Buzoni-Gatel
- †Laboratoire Associé Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique d’Immunologie Parasitaire, Faculté de Pharmacie, Tours, France
| | - Daniel T. Bout
- †Laboratoire Associé Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique d’Immunologie Parasitaire, Faculté de Pharmacie, Tours, France
| | - Lloyd H. Kasper
- *Departments of Medicine and Microbiology, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover NH 03755; and
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