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Activated macrophages as effector cells of protective immunity to schistosomiasis

  • Parasite Immunology
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Conclusion

The study of macrophage-schistosome interaction has yielded insights into the mechanism of macrophage cytotoxicity against extracellular targets, as well as the generation of cell-mediated immunity in infectious disease. Many of the results surveyed here emphasize the similarities in conditions for induction and expression of macrophage function; for example, (1) conditions inducing macrophage activation for killing of schistosomula or tumor cells appear to be entirely coincident, (2) killing of schistosomula and tumor cells proceeds similarly in terms of the kinetics and features of target damage, and may involve identical effector molecules, and (3) immunization against schistosomiasis stimulates a state of cell-mediated immunity analogous to that induced by treatment with other infectious agents such as BCG orC. parvum. However, the schistosome model also introduces novel and intriguing variables, most notably the changes in parasite susceptibility to macrophage-mediated killing at different maturational stages, and the induction of maximally activated macrophage populations with moderate larvacidal activity. Thus, schistosomiasis provides an informative new model for study of macrophage function in chronic infection and protective immunity. Genetics studies have revealed a strong correlation between macrophage larvicidal activity and resistance toS. mansoni, suggesting a role for activated macrophages as immune effector cells in vivo. It remains to be determined whether this potential effector mechanism of resistance can be exploited to the advantage of the host by appropriate vaccination protocols to elicit and direct the toxicity of activated macrophages toward challenge parasites. It is possible that the proper selection of immunogen and method of administration could produce stronger cell-mediated responses, ultimately of more protective benefit than those generated as a consequence of natural or attenuated infection.

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  1. Departments of Medicine and Microbiology, The George Washington University Medical Center, 20037, Washington, D.C., USA

    Stephanie L. James

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James, S.L. Activated macrophages as effector cells of protective immunity to schistosomiasis. Immunol Res 5, 139–148 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02917588

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