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Kinetics of Cryptosporidium parvum-specific cytokine responses in healing and nonhealing murine models of C. parvum infection

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Abstract

Susceptibility or resistance to infection with Cryptosporidium parvum correlates with the ability of mice to produce characteristic panels of cytokines in response to infection. Both adult healing and nonhealing mouse models of cryptosporidiosis were used to study the cell-mediated immune response during the course of C. parvum infection. Mesenteric lymph node (MLN) lymphocytes from both mouse models were proliferated after ex vivo re-stimulation with C. parvum sporozoite antigen. Study of the cytokine profile from the supernatant of proliferated MLN cells revealed that healing mice produced greater levels of Th1 (IFN-γ and IL-2) and moderate amounts of Th2 (IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, and IL-10) cytokines throughout the course of infection. Whereas, MLN cells from nonhealing mice produced no IFN-γ, low levels of IL-2 and IL-4, and higher levels of IL-5, IL-6, and IL-10 cytokines. These results suggest that the capacity to produce both Th1 and Th2 cytokines, rather than the presence of Th2 cytokines alone, determines the effective immune response against C. parvum infection.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge Dr. Jean Mukerjee for the critical review of the manuscript. This work was supported by National Institute of Health Grants R29-AI39967, R01-RR13537, and P01-DK55510.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA, USA

    Inderpal Singh & Saul Tzipori

  2. Biogen Idec Inc, 14, Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA, USA

    Cynthia Theodos

  3. Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55, Lake Avenue, North Worcester, MA, USA

    Wenjun Li

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  1. Inderpal Singh
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  2. Cynthia Theodos
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  3. Wenjun Li
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  4. Saul Tzipori
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Correspondence to Inderpal Singh.

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Singh, I., Theodos, C., Li, W. et al. Kinetics of Cryptosporidium parvum-specific cytokine responses in healing and nonhealing murine models of C. parvum infection. Parasitol Res 97, 309–317 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-005-1436-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-005-1436-1

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