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Th2 polarization of the immune response of BALB/c mice to Ixodes ricinus instars, importance of several antigens in activation of specific Th2 subpopulations
Author(s) -
Mejri Naceur,
Franscini Nicola,
Rutti Bernard,
Brossard Michel
Publication year - 2001
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.1365-3024.2001.00356.x
Subject(s) - ixodes ricinus , biology , immune system , ricinus , antigen , immunology , messenger rna , lymph node , infestation , saliva , microbiology and biotechnology , tick , virology , gene , biochemistry , botany
BALB/c mice were infested with Ixodes ricinus larvae, nymphs or adults. Expression of IL‐4 and IFN‐γ mRNA in axillary and brachial draining lymph node cells were measured by competitive quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction 9 days after the beginning of primary‐infestation. IL‐4 mRNA was always higher than that of IFN‐γ mRNA for all tick instars. Moreover, IL‐4 mRNA expression progressively increased during nymphal primary‐infestation with a high burst of expression 7 days after the beginning of infestation. No evolution of IFN‐γ mRNA expression was detected. Draining lymph node cells of infested BALB/c produced higher level of IL‐4 than IFN‐γ following in vitro restimulation with adult tick saliva, salivary gland extract (SGE) or with five selected different chromatographic fractions of SGE. Anti‐tick IgG1 antibodies but no IgG2a were detected in BALB/c pluri‐infested with I. ricinus nymphs, which confirmed the Th2 polarization of the immune response.