Eosinophil differentiation in response to Fasciola hepatica and its excretory/secretory antigens

Bone marrow cells from mice infected with Fasciola hepatica, from mice injected with F. hepatica excretory/secretory (ES) antigens, and from uninfected or uninjected control animals were cultured in the presence of F. hepatica ES antigens or the eosinophil differentiation cytokine IL-5. Eosinophil maturation in cultures was assessed quantitatively by measuring eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) activity and qualitatively by visual appraisal in stained preparations over a week. It was found that the presence in all cultures (including those from control animals) of either ES antigens at an optimal concentration of 100 micrograms ml-1 (established in preliminary trials) or IL-5 at 500 units ml-1 led to enhanced EPO activity. EPO activity in cultures without IL-5 or ES antigens remained static or fell over the culture period. At day 3 in all cultures containing IL-5 or ES antigens, there was maintenance of or only a slight decline in, the number of eosinophils that were present when cultures were initiated, and more of them were mature than at day 0 as evidenced by their EPO activity. However, there was a marked fall in eosinophil numbers in all cultures in the absence of IL-5 or ES antigens. The results indicate that F. hepatica ES antigens, like IL-5, stimulate eosinophil maturation in bone marrow with a consequent rise in EPO activity in the cells. Whether the antigen(s) acts directly or indirectly on the eosinophils or their precursors has yet to be established. Nevertheless, it seems clear that F. hepatica produces a molecule with a functionally similar effect to that of IL-5.