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Cryptococcal infection and Th1-Th2 cytokine balance
Yoshinobu Koguchi1, Kazuyoshi Kawakami
1First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan.
International Reviews of Immunology
|December 19, 2002
Summary
Host immune responses, specifically the balance between T-helper 1 (Th1) and T-helper 2 (Th2) cytokines, critically impact Cryptococcus neoformans infection outcomes. Modulating this balance can enhance host resistance to this fungal pathogen.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Cytokines are crucial for host defense against pathogens.
- The balance between T-helper 1 (Th1) and T-helper 2 (Th2) cytokines significantly influences outcomes of intracellular microbial infections.
- Cryptococcus neoformans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen causing fatal meningoencephalitis in immunocompromised individuals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the role of Th1-Th2 cytokine balance in host protective responses to Cryptococcus neoformans.
- To identify host and pathogen factors regulating this cytokine balance.
Main Methods:
- Murine model of pulmonary and disseminated infection with Cryptococcus neoformans.
- Analysis of cytokine mRNA expression in the lungs of infected mice.
- Administration of Interleukin-12 (IL-12) to modulate cytokine profiles.
Main Results:
- Infected mice exhibited Th2-dominant cytokine profiles.
- Administration of IL-12 shifted the cytokine balance towards Th1 dominance.
- IL-12 treatment rescued mice from fatal cryptococcal infection.
Conclusions:
- The commitment of T-helper cell phenotypes is critical in determining host susceptibility to C. neoformans infection.
- Understanding and manipulating Th1-Th2 balance is key to developing therapeutic strategies against cryptococcosis.