Human polymorphonuclear leukocytes produce IL-12, TNF-alpha, and the chemokines macrophage-inflammatory protein-1 alpha and-1 beta in response to Toxoplasma gondii antigens
Sk. Bliss et al., Human polymorphonuclear leukocytes produce IL-12, TNF-alpha, and the chemokines macrophage-inflammatory protein-1 alpha and-1 beta in response to Toxoplasma gondii antigens, J IMMUNOL, 162(12), 1999, pp. 7369-7375
The induction of a type 1 inflammatory cytokine response is a key event in
the initiation of immunity to Toxoplasma gondii, Because polymorphonuclear
leukocytes rapidly respond to infection by exiting the peripheral blood and
accumulating at a site of infection, we sought to determine whether these
cells produce cytokines in response to T. gondii, When human peripheral blo
od neutrophils were stimulated with parasite Ag, they produced both IL-12 (
p70) and TNF-alpha. Similarly, up-regulated expression of macrophage-inflam
matory protein-1 alpha (MIP-1 alpha) and MIP-1 beta gene transcripts was in
duced. Kinetic analysis of IL-12 and TNF-alpha production revealed distinct
patterns following stimulation by T. gondii or LPS, Exogenous TNF-alpha al
one also provided a potent stimulus of MIP-1 alpha and MIP-1 beta expressio
n, and when neutralizing anti-TNF-alpha antiserum was included in cultures
of parasite-stimulated cells, expression of these CC-family chemokines was
partially blocked. These results establish that T. gondii possesses the abi
lity of driving neutrophil proinflammatory cytokine production, and they su
ggest that parasite-induced MIP-1 alpha and MIP-1 beta partly results from
autocrine stimulation through TNF-alpha.