The immune response to toxocariasis does not modify susceptibility to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in BALB/c mice

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2007 Oct;77(4):691-8.

Abstract

Mycobacterium tuberculosis and helminth infections coincide geographically and are classically described as TH1 and TH2 pathologies. There is much interest in exploring how concurrent worm infections might alter immune responses to mycobacterial infection. To explore this issue, mice were infected with Toxocara canis and co-infected with M. tuberculosis. Mice infected with M. tuberculosis had high numbers of neutrophils and mononuclear cells within the alveolar spaces, with increased parenchymal interferon (IFN)-gamma levels. However, in Toxocara-infected mice we detected increased eosinophil numbers in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and increased parenchymal levels of interleukin (IL)-5. In co-infected mice the BALF demonstrated enhanced eosinophil influx with decreased neutrophil and mononuclear cell accumulation. However, co-infected mice had similar mycobacterial proliferation in their lungs accompanied by similar histopathological changes and similar cytokine/nitric oxide production compared with Mycobacterium-only-infected mice. Our results suggest that T. canis infection does not necessarily lead to increased susceptibility to pulmonary tuberculosis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / parasitology
  • Cytokines / immunology
  • Disease Susceptibility / immunology
  • Disease Susceptibility / microbiology
  • Female
  • Lung / pathology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / genetics
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / immunology*
  • Nitric Oxide / chemistry
  • Nitric Oxide / metabolism
  • Spleen / immunology
  • Th1 Cells / immunology*
  • Th2 Cells / immunology*
  • Toxocara canis / immunology*
  • Toxocariasis / immunology*
  • Toxocariasis / microbiology
  • Tuberculosis / immunology*
  • Tuberculosis / parasitology

Substances

  • Cytokines
  • Nitric Oxide