Time-Course Study of the Transcriptome of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) from Sheep Infected with Fasciola hepatica

PLoS One. 2016 Jul 20;11(7):e0159194. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159194. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Fasciola hepatica is a parasitic trematode that infects a wide range of mammalian hosts, including livestock and humans, in temperate and tropical regions globally. This trematode causes the disease fascioliasis, which consists of an acute phase (≤ 12 weeks) during which juvenile parasites migrate through the host liver tissues, and a chronic phase (> 12 weeks) following the establishment of adult parasites in the liver bile ducts. Few studies have explored the progression of the host response over the course of Fasciola infection in the same animals. In this study, we characterized transcriptomic changes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) collected from sheep at three time points over the first eight weeks of infection relative to uninfected controls. In total, 183 and 76 genes were found to be differentially transcribed at two and eight weeks post-infection respectively. Functional and pathway analysis of differentially transcribed genes revealed changes related to T-cell activation that may underpin a Th2-biased immune response against this parasite. This first insight into the dynamics of host responses during the early stages of infection improves the understanding of the pathogenesis of acute fascioliasis, informs vaccine development and presents a set of PBMC markers with diagnostic potential.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Down-Regulation / genetics
  • Fasciola hepatica / physiology*
  • Fascioliasis / genetics*
  • Fascioliasis / veterinary*
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Ontology
  • Leukocytes, Mononuclear / metabolism*
  • Sheep / genetics*
  • Sheep / parasitology*
  • Time Factors
  • Transcription, Genetic
  • Transcriptome / genetics*
  • Up-Regulation / genetics

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Australian Research Council and (ARC) grant number DP110103175 and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia as well as by a Victorian Life Sciences Computation Initiative (VLSCI) grant number VR0007 on its Peak Computing Facility at the University of Melbourne, an initiative of the Victorian Government (to RB Gasser).