B1 cells protect against Schistosoma japonicum-induced liver inflammation and fibrosis by controlling monocyte infiltration

PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2019 Jun 13;13(6):e0007474. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007474. eCollection 2019 Jun.

Abstract

During Schistosoma infection, lack of B cells results in more severe granulomas, inflammation, and fibrosis in the liver, but the mechanisms underlying this pathology remain unclear. This study was to clarify the mechanisms underpinning the immunomodulation of B cells in mice infected with Schistosoma japonicum (S. japonicum). We found that B cell deficiency led to aggravated liver pathology, as demonstrated by increases in the size of the egg-associated granulomas, alanine transaminase levels, and collagen deposition. Compared with infected wild-type (WT) mice, infected B cell-deficient (μMT) mice showed increased infiltration of Ly6Chi monocytes and higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Furthermore, B1 cells were increased significantly in the liver of WT mice following S. japonicum infection. Adoptively transferring B1 cells, but not B2 cells, to μMT mice significantly reduced liver pathology and liver infiltration of Ly6Chi monocytes. Additionally, secretion of IL-10 from hepatic B cells increased significantly in infected WT mice and this IL-10 was mainly derived from B1 cells. Adoptively transferring B1 cells purified from WT mice, but not from IL-10-deficient mice, to μMT mice significantly reduced liver pathology and liver infiltration of Ly6Chi monocytes. These reductions were accompanied by decreases in the expression levels of chemokines and inflammatory cytokines. Taken together, these data indicated that after S. japonicum infection, an increased number of hepatic B1 cells secrete IL-10, which inhibits the expression of chemokines and cytokines and suppresses the infiltration of Ly6Chi monocytes into the liver thereby alleviating liver early inflammation and late fibrosis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Hepatitis / complications*
  • Hepatitis / immunology
  • Hepatitis / prevention & control*
  • Immunologic Factors / metabolism
  • Liver Cirrhosis / immunology
  • Liver Cirrhosis / prevention & control*
  • Male
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Monocytes / immunology*
  • Schistosoma japonicum / immunology*
  • Schistosomiasis japonica / complications*

Substances

  • Cytokines
  • Immunologic Factors

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (http://www.nsfc.gov.cn) (grant numbers 81571540 and 81870410). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.