Concomitant experimental coinfection by Plasmodium berghei NK65-NY and Ascaris suum downregulates the Ascaris-specific immune response and potentiates Ascaris-associated lung pathology

Malaria Journal

Flaviane Vieira-Santos¹  Thaís Leal-Silva¹  Ana Cristina Loiola Ruas¹  Lilian Lacerda Bueno¹  Luiza de Lima Silva Padrão¹  Lucas Kraemer¹  Fabrício Marcus Silva Oliveira¹  Denise Silva Nogueira¹  Ricardo Toshio Fujiwara¹  Marcelo Vidigal Caliari²  Remo Castro Russo³ 

[1] Laboratory of Immunology and Genomics of Parasites, Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of Parasitology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil;Laboratory of Protozooses, Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of General Pathology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil;Laboratory of Pulmonary Immunology and Mechanics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil;

关键词: Plasmodium berghei;    Ascaris suum;    Coinfection;    Malaria;    Helminth infection;    Lung inflammation;    Lung injury;    Pulmonary mechanics;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12936-021-03824-w

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundAscariasis and malaria are highly prevalent parasitic diseases in tropical regions and often have overlapping endemic areas, contributing to high morbidity and mortality rates in areas with poor sanitary conditions. Several studies have previously aimed to correlate the effects of Ascaris-Plasmodium coinfections but have obtained contradictory and inconclusive results. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate parasitological and immunopathological aspects of the lung during murine experimental concomitant coinfection by Plasmodium berghei and Ascaris suum during larvae ascariasis.MethodsC57BL/6J mice were inoculated with 1 × 104P. berghei strain NK65-NY-infected red blood cells (iRBCs) intraperitoneally and/or 2500 embryonated eggs of A. suum by oral gavage. P. berghei parasitaemia, morbidity and the survival rate were assessed. On the seventh day postinfection (dpi), A. suum lung burden analysis; bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL); histopathology; NAG, MPO and EPO activity measurements; haematological analysis; and respiratory mechanics analysis were performed. The concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-12/IL-23p40, IL-6, IL-4, IL-33, IL-13, IL-5, IL-10, IL-17A, IFN-γ, TNF and TGF-β were assayed by sandwich ELISA.ResultsAnimals coinfected with P. berghei and A. suum show decreased production of type 1, 2, and 17 and regulatory cytokines; low leukocyte recruitment in the tissue; increased cellularity in the circulation; and low levels of NAG, MPO and EPO activity that lead to an increase in larvae migration, as shown by the decrease in larvae recovered in the lung parenchyma and increase in larvae recovered in the airway. This situation leads to severe airway haemorrhage and, consequently, an impairment respiratory function that leads to high morbidity and early mortality.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates that the Ascaris-Plasmodium interaction is harmful to the host and suggests that this coinfection may potentiate Ascaris-associated pathology by dampening the Ascaris-specific immune response, resulting in the early death of affected animals.

【 授权许可】

CC BY