Recognition and Characterization of Stage-Specific Oocyst/Sporozoite Antigens Of Toxoplasma Gondii by Human Antisera.

Human infection with Toxoplasma gondii is presumed due to the ingestion of either tissue cysts containing bradyzoites or oocyst/sporozoites that are excreted in the feces of infected cats. The incidence of human infection in the general population by either of these routes is unknown. We have previously described unique stage-specific oocyst/sporozoite antigens identified by murine hybridoma monoclonal antibodies. We obtained acute and convalescent antitoxoplasma antisera from patients in an epidemiologically well-documented outbreak of oocyst-transmitted infection associated with the ingestion of contaminated water. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay comparing equal numbers of tachyzoites (invasive stage) and oocyst/sporozoite (excreted stage) indicated that these antisera recognized antigens from both life forms. Absorption of pooled antisera with purified oocyst/sporozoites reduced both the antioocyst immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) titer but had only minimal effect on the antitachyzoite titer. Absorption of the antisera with tachyzoites reduced the IgG and IgM antioocyst and antitachyzoite titer. A sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel analysis of radioiodinated oocyst/sporozoites shows that the principal stage-specific surface proteins of the oocyst/sporozoite have approximate Mr of 67,000 and 25,000. Periodic acid and silver stain of purified oocyst/sporozoite identified bands of similar molecular weight not present in the tachyzoite preparation. Western blot analysis of purified parasites assayed with human antioocyst antisera identified specific oocyst/sporozoite antigens not present on the tachyzoites. At least two major stage-specific oocyst/sporozoite antigens of approximate Mr of 67,000 and 190,000 were identified by the infected patients\u27 antisera and not by the normal controls. Reaction to these oocyst/sporozoite antigens was seen primarily in the IgM fraction of the acute phase and the IgG fraction of convalescent phase antisera. Neither absorption of the antisera with tachyzoites nor periodate treatment of the oocyst/sporozoites reduced the antibody recognition of these stage-specific antigens. These data suggest that individuals infected by a presumed oocyst-transmitted route develop antibodies against unique stage-specific oocyst/sporozoite antigens

Antigen-Specific CD8+ T Cells Protect against Lethal Toxoplasmosis in Mice Infected with Neospora caninum

Neospora caninum is a coccidial protozoan parasite that appears morphologically indistinguishable from Toxoplasma gondii and that infects a large range of mammals. Both inbred and outbred strains of mice exhibit a high degree of resistance to infection with N. caninum. Three inbred strains of mice (A/J, BALB/c, and C57BL/6) that were infected intraperitoneally with N. caninum were protected against a lethal challenge from T. gondii. Vaccine-induced protection was Neospora dose dependent. A rise in the CD8+ T-cell population in mice that had been vaccinated with N. caninum and challenged with T. gondii was observed. Adoptive transfer of CD8+ T-cell splenocytes from N. caninum-infected mice was protective against challenge with Toxoplasma. The CD8+ T cells from Neospora-infected mice proliferate to both Neospora and Toxoplasma antigens in vitro and secrete substantial quantities of gamma interferon when pulsed with the parasite antigen. These observations demonstrate that N. caninum protects against lethal T. gondii infection by the induction of CD8+ T cells that are immunoreactive to both parasites

Immunomodulatory Activity of Interferon-Beta

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex disorder of the central nervous system that appears to be driven by a shift in immune functioning toward excess inflammation that results in demyelination and axonal loss. Beta interferons were the first class of disease-modifying therapies to be approved for patients with MS after treatment with this type I interferon improved the course of MS on both clinical and radiological measures in clinical trials. The mechanism of action of interferon-beta appears to be driven by influencing the immune system at many levels, including antigen-presenting cells, T cells, and B cells. One effect of these interactions is to shift cytokine networks in favor of an anti-inflammatory effect. The pleiotropic mechanism of action may be a critical factor in determining the efficacy of interferon-beta in MS. This review will focus on select immunological mechanisms that are influenced by this type I cytokine

CCR5 Mediates Specific Migration of Toxoplasma Gondii—Primed CD8+ Lymphocytes to Inflammatory Intestinal Epithelial Cells

Toxoplasma gondii, an obligate intracellular parasite, can invade intestinal epithelial cells and elicit a robust Th1 immune response. In this model of intestinal inflammation, CD8+ intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) secrete transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, which appears necessary for the maintenance of homeostasis in the intestine. However, the mechanism responsible for the IEL migration to the inflamed intestine is still unclear.An in vitro coculture cell system was used to quantify the IEL attraction by an infected intestinal epithelial cell line (m-ICcl2). We used CCR5-deficient mice to determine which chemokine receptor—chemokine interaction could be responsible for the recruitment of antigen-specific CD8+ IELs to the small intestine for the promotion of parasite clearance and host recovery

Experimental Ocular Toxoplasmosis in Genetically Susceptible and Resistant Mice

Genetic factors determining the pathogenesis and course of ocular toxoplasmosis are poorly understood. In this study, we explored the development of experimental ocular pathogenesis in genetically dissimilar mice infected with either the RH strain, the PLK strain, or the immunodominant surface antigen 1 (SAG1 [P30])-deficient mutant of the RH strain of Toxoplasma gondii. At 11 days postinfection, ocular infection of C57BL/6 mice with all of the strains of parasites resulted in severe inflammatory lesions and high numbers of parasites in eye tissue; less severe ocular lesions at earlier histopathology and prolonged survival were observed in this mouse strain infected with either the major surface antigen 1-deficient SAG1−/− strain or the less virulent PLK strain compared with RH infection. In contrast, both BALB/c and CBA/J mice had less severe lesions and low numbers of parasites in their eye tissue, and infection developed into the chronic stage in these mice. There were significantly higher serum levels of gamma interferon and tumor necrosis factor alpha in C57BL/6 mice than in BALB/c and CBA/J mice following ocular infection. These observations confirm earlier reports on systemic immunity to these parasites that the route of Toxoplasma infection markedly influences survival of mice. Our data indicate that genetic factors of the host as well as the parasite strain are critical in determining susceptibility to experimental ocular toxoplasmosis in murine models

A Dichotomous Role for Nitric Oxide During Acute Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Mice

Production of nitric oxide by macrophages is believed to be an important microbicidal mechanism for a variety of intracellular pathogens, including Toxoplasma gondii. Mice with a targeted disruption of the inducible nitric oxide synthase gene (iNOS) were infected orally with T. gondii tissue cysts. Time to death was prolonged compared with parental controls. Histologic analysis of tissue from infected mice showed scattered small foci of inflammation with parasites in various tissues of iNOS−/− mice, whereas tissue from the parental C57BL/6 mice had more extensive tissue inflammation with few visible parasites. In particular, extensive ulceration and necrosis of distal small intestine and fatty degeneration of the liver was seen in the parental mice at day 7 postinfection, as compared with the iNOS−/− mice where these tissues appeared normal. Serum interferon γ and tumor necrosis factor α levels postinfection were equally elevated in both mouse strains. Treatment of the parental mice with a NO synthase inhibitor, aminoguanidine, prevented early death in these mice as well as the hepatic degeneration and small bowel necrosis seen in acutely infected control parentals. These findings indicate that NO production during acute infection with T. gondii can kill intracellular parasites but can be detrimental, even lethal, to the host

Attachment Ligands of Viable Toxoplasma gondii Induce Soluble Immunosuppressive Factors in Human Monocytes

Previous studies have demonstrated that surface antigen proteins, in particular SAG-1, of Toxoplasma gondii are important to this parasite as attachment ligands for the host cell. An in vitro assay was developed to test whether these ligands and other secretory proteins are involved in the immune response of human cells to toxoplasma. Human monocytes were infected with tachyzoites in the presence of antiparasite antibodies, and their effect on mitogen-induced lymphoproliferation was examined. The presence of antibody to either parasite-excreted proteins (MIC-1 and MIC-2) or surface proteins (SAG-1 and SAG-2) during infection neutralized the marked decrease seen in mitogen-induced lymphoproliferation in the presence of infected monocytes. Conversely, antibodies to other secreted proteins (ROP-1) and cytoplasmic molecules had no effect on parasite-induced, monocyte-mediated downregulation. Fluorescence microscope analysis detected microneme and surface antigen proteins on the monocyte cell surface during infection. These results suggest that microneme and surface antigen proteins trigger monocytes to downregulate mitogen-induced lymphoproliferation

A Novel Triterpenoid Induces Transforming Growth Factor β Production by Intraepithelial Lymphocytes to Prevent Ileitis

The loss of homeostasis is a hallmark of inflammatory bowel disease. Oral infection of susceptible mice with Toxoplasma gondii results in an acute lethal ileitis characterized by increased interferon γ, tumor necrosis factor α, and inducible nitric oxide synthase; homeostasis results from transforming growth factor β production by intraepithelial lymphocytes. The synthetic oleanane triterpenoid 2-cyano-3,12-dioxooleana-1,9-dien-28-oic acid (CDDO) is a potent anti-inflammatory molecule previously shown in vitro to suppress the de novo synthesis of inducible nitric oxide synthase and to induce the transcription and activation of genes from the transforming growth factor β signaling pathway. We evaluated the immune response in the small intestine and by intraepithelial lymphocytes after a single intraperitoneal dose of CDDO at the time of T. gondii oral infection. We abrogated the homeostatic effects of CDDO by blocking transforming growth factor β in vivo

Toxoplasma gondii Induces Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor and Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor Secretion by Human Fibroblasts: Implications for Neutrophil Apoptosis

Human neutrophils are rescued from apoptosis following incubation with once-washed, fibroblast-derived Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites. Both infected and uninfected neutrophils are rescued, implicating a soluble mediator. In this study we investigated the origin and identity of this soluble mediator. Neutrophils were incubated either with purified tachyzoites or with conditioned medium derived from T. gondii-infected human fibroblasts. Conditioned medium was found to be a potent stimulus that delayed neutrophil apoptosis up to 72 h, whereas purified and extensively washed tachyzoites had no effect. Delayed apoptosis correlated with up-regulation of the neutrophil antiapoptotic protein, Mcl-1, and the neutrophil interleukin 3 receptor alpha subunit (IL-3Ralpha), suggesting a role for granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). GM-CSF and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) were measurable in conditioned medium by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Neutralizing antibodies to GM-CSF and G-CSF were additive in abrogating delayed neutrophil apoptosis induced by conditioned medium. Inhibitors of Src family tyrosine kinases, G(i) proteins, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, p44(erk1) and p42(erk2) mitogen-activated protein kinases, and Jak2 kinases partially attenuated the effect of conditioned medium, consistent with a role for G-CSF and/or GM-CSF. Hence, delayed neutrophil apoptosis is mediated by GM-CSF and G-CSF secreted by T. gondii-infected human fibroblasts. This enhanced neutrophil survival may contribute to the robust proinflammatory response elicited in the T. gondii-infected host

An intestinal commensal symbiosis factor controls neuroinflammation via TLR2-mediated CD39 signaling

The mammalian immune system constitutively senses vast quantities of commensal bacteria and their products through pattern recognition receptors, yet excessive immune reactivity is prevented under homeostasis. Intestinal microbiome can influence host susceptibility to extra-intestine autoimmune disorders. Here we report that polysaccharide A (PSA), a symbiosis factor for human intestinal commensal Bacteroides fragilis, protects against central nervous system demyelination and inflammation during experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model for multiple sclerosis, through toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2). TLR2 mediates tissue-specific expansion of a critical regulatory CD39+ CD4 T cell subset by PSA. Ablation of CD39 signaling abrogates PSA control of EAE manifestations and inflammatory cytokine responses. Further, CD39 confers immune-regulatory phenotypes to total CD4 T cells and Foxp3+ CD4 Tregs. Importantly, CD39-deficient CD4 T cells show an enhanced capability to drive EAE progression. Our results demonstrate the therapeutic potential and underlying mechanism by which an intestinal symbiont product modulates CNS-targeted demyelination