Naïve donor responses to Schistosoma mansoni soluble egg antigens

Schistosome infection induces profound Th-biasing and immune suppression. Although much has been examined in mice, few studies have examined responses of naïve humans to schistosome antigens. In this study, we examined the response of naïve human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (nPBMC) to stimulation with Schistosoma mansoni soluble egg antigen (SEA) using a priming in vitro (PIV) assay. We found that SEA induced a pronounced CD4+ T-helper cell response based on cytokine secretion and phenotyping markers. SEA-stimulated nPBMC (SEA cells) at day 7 post-priming and after the first recall consisted predominantly of Th0-like CD4+ T cells. Following the second recall, the majority of donor (10/12) responses were Th2-like. The cell population consisted of approximately 64% CD4+, 17% CD8(+high), 12% CD19+, and 7% CD23+ cells. The CD4+ population also expressed HLA-DR+, CD54+, CD45RO+ and CD25+ whereas the CD19+ cells expressed CD80 and CD86. Following priming, we detected high levels of IL-6, IFN-gamma, IL-12p40, IL-10 and IL-5. Upon restimulation, SEA cells secreted IL-5 and high levels of IL-10, typical of a Th2-like response. The data presented herein shows that the majority of naïve donor dendritic cells, following stimulation with SEA, prime and clonally expand SEA-specific T cells towards a Th2-type response. However, two donors responded with an atypical response, producing IFN-gamma coincident with low levels of IL-10. Whether this differential response was due to HLA or other genes was not determined but is currently under investigation.