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Eosinophils are the major effector cells of immunity to microfilariae in a mouse model of onchocerciasis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

S. G. Folkard
Affiliation:
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
P. J. Hogarth
Affiliation:
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
M. J. Taylor
Affiliation:
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
A. E. Bianco
Affiliation:
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK

Summary

Mice inoculated with microfilariae of the filarial nematode Onchocerca lienalis clear their parasites over a period of 3–4 months and are highly resistant to re-infection. We have investigated the comparative roles of the eosinophil, macrophage and neutrophil in effecting this parasite clearance, employing agents specifically to perturb cell function in vivo. Using the anti-IL-5 monoclonal antibody TRFK-5, we show that eosinophils are of primary importance in effecting resistance to re-infection. Ablation of macrophages (with carbon) and neutrophils (with the monoclonal antibody NIMP-R14) had no effect on parasite clearance following re-infection. Neutralization of these 3 cell types during a primary infection showed that while the removal of both eosinophils and macrophages caused a small but significant delay in parasite clearance, the depletion of neutrophils had no effect. This report describes the first direct evidence for eosinophil-mediated killing of microfilariae in vivo, and is consistent with Th-2 cell responses previously described in this model.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

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