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Coinfection with Borrelia burgdorferi and the agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis suppresses IL‐2 and IFNγ production and promotes an IL‐4 response in C3H/HeJ mice
Author(s) -
Zeidner Nordin S.,
Dolan Marc C.,
Massung Robert,
Piesman Joseph,
Fish Durland
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
parasite immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.795
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1365-3024
pISSN - 0141-9838
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-3024.2000.00339.x
Subject(s) - borrelia burgdorferi , coinfection , ehrlichiosis , biology , immunology , spleen , virology , tick , microbiology and biotechnology , antibody , virus
Previously we demonstrated that Borrelia burgdorferi transmission by Ixodes scapularis suppressed IL‐2 and IFNγ production and promoted IL‐4 production in mice. The present studies were conducted to determine whether coinfection with the human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HE) agent would promote a Th2 cytokine response in mice. Transmission to the spleen of the agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (aoHGE) and B. burgdorferi occurred 4 and 7 days, respectively, after tick infestation. Coinfection synergized to suppress splenic IL‐2 production 7–14 days after tick infestion. Transmission of B. burgdorferi or aoHGE alone significantly decreased splenic IFNγ 4–7 days after tick infestation, while coinfection suppressed IFNγ production 7–14 days after tick infestation. Splenic IL‐4 production was significantly increased 4 days after coinfection, and by day 10, aoHGE plus B. burgdorferi induced greater splenic IL‐4 (57.2 pg/ml, 348% of control values) than either organism transmitted alone (aoHGE, 22.7 pg/ml, B. burgdorferi , 25.1 pg/ml). Coinfection enhanced expansion of splenic T cells, CD4 + lymphocytes and B cells while decreasing CD8 + T cells. These data demonstrate that aoHGE and B. burgdorferi , when cotransmitted, suppress a systemic IL‐2 and IFNγ response, while strongly promoting systemic IL‐4 production in the susceptible host. The antigen(s) responsible for this polarization are unknown and will be the subject of future studies .