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Efficient immunity against Leishmania major in the absence of interleukin-6
N H Moskowitz1, D R Brown, S L Reiner
1Department of Medicine, Gwen Knapp Center for Lupus and Immunology Research, University of Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA.
Infection and Immunity
|June 1, 1997
Abstract:
Mice genetically deficient in the pleiotropic cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) exhibit immunodeficiency against viral, bacterial, and fungal pathogens. When challenged with the protozoan parasite Leishmania major, IL-6-deficient mice controlled infection and mounted strong Th1 responses as efficiently as IL-6-sufficient littermates. Thus, the successful activation of parasitized macrophages and class II-restricted T cells does not require a full inflammatory repertoire.