Rapid induction of IgE responses to a worm cysteine protease during murine pre-patent schistosome infection

• Main Authors: Sajid Mohammed, Delcroix Melaine, Chatterjee Mitali, Dvořák Jan, Moreno Elizabeth C, Lamb Erika W, de Oliveira Fraga Lucia A, Caffrey Conor R, Davies Stephen J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2010-11-01
• Series: BMC Immunology
• Online Access: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2172/11/56

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>During the pre-patent stage of infection, juvenile <it>Schistosoma </it>blood flukes co-opt signals from the adaptive immune system to facilitate parasite development, but the types of responses that are induced at this early stage of infection, and the parasite antigens they target, have not been characterized.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Through analysis of experimental pre-patent infections, we show that the <it>S. mansoni </it>cysteine protease SmCB1 is rapidly targeted by an antigen-specific IgE response. The induction of this response is independent of schistosome eggs as infection with male or female worms alone also induced SmCB1-specific IgE. We also show that the SmCB1-specific IgE response is dependent on cognate CD4⁺T cell help and IL-4, suggesting that pre-patent Th2 responses provide T cell help for the SmCB1-specific IgE response. Finally, exposed human subjects also produced IgE against SmCB1.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our data demonstrate that, like eggs, schistosome worms also induce functional type 2 responses and that a parasite cysteine protease is an inducer of type 2 responses during the early stages of schistosome infection.</p>