Parasite distribution and associated immune response during the acute phase of Toxoplasma gondii infection in sheep

BMC Veterinary Research

Eric Cox⁴  Pierre Dorny²  Gary Entrican³  Stéphane De Craeye¹  Delfien Verhelst⁴ 

[1] National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Operational Direction Communicable and Infectious Diseases, Scientific Institute of Public Health, Brussels, Belgium;Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium;Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Midlothian, Penicuik EH26 0PZ, Scotland, UK;Laboratory of Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

关键词: Sheep;    ELISA;    Quantitative PCR;    Immune responses;    Toxoplasma gondii;   

Others  :  1091718
DOI  :  10.1186/s12917-014-0293-5

 received in 2014-05-27, accepted in 2014-12-02,  发布年份 2014

【 摘 要 】

Background

In many countries, Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a major cause of reproductive disorders and abortions in the sheep industry, and therefore responsible for important financial and economic losses. In addition, undercooked infected lamb is an important risk factor for human toxoplasmosis.

In the present study, the initial phase of the infection was investigated: the parasite’s entry site, the subsequent distribution of the parasite and the host-immune response.

Results

Parasite DNA was already detected in the cranial small intestinal mucosa the first days after oral infection with T. gondii tissue cysts. Simultaneously, high IFN-gamma and IL-12 responses were induced mainly in the mesenteric lymph nodes. The emergence of IgG1 (at 8dpi), and IgG2 (at 11 dpi) was accompanied by a decrease or even disappearance of the IFN-gamma and IL-12 response in the Peyers’ patches (PP), PBMC’s and popliteal LN’s. Meanwhile the parasite DNA could be recovered from most mucosal and systemic tissues to become undetectable in the small intestine, popliteal LN, PBMC and spleen 3 weeks pi.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that parasites enter the cranial small intestine the first days after infection and that after an increase the first two weeks after infection, the parasite DNA levels in the intestine drop below the detection limit three weeks after infection. This coincides with an increase in parastic-specific serum IgG1 and IgG2 and a decrease of the antigen-specific IFN-gamma response in PP, PBMC and popliteal LN. We suggest a role for IFN-gamma and IL-12 in controlling the infection.

【 授权许可】

   
2014 Verhelst et al.; licensee BioMed Central.

【 图 表 】

Figure 1.

Figure 2.

Figure 3.

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