Eosinophils are recruited in response to chitin exposure and enhance Th2-mediated immune pathology in Aspergillus fumigatus infection.

ABSTRACT: In patients infected with the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus, Th1 responses are considered protective, while Th2 responses are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. How host-pathogen interactions influence the development of these protective or detrimental immune responses is not clear. We compared lung immune responses to conidia from two fungal isolates that expressed different levels of the fungal cell wall component chitin. We observed that repeated aspirations of the high-chitin-expressing isolate Af5517 induced increased airway eosinophilia in the lungs of recipient mice compared to the level of eosinophilia induced by isolate Af293. CD4(+) T cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of Af5517-aspirated mice displayed decreased gamma interferon secretion and increas

SUBMITTER: O'Dea EM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4136210 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature