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Characterization of CD4+ T Cell Responses in Mice Infected with Schistosoma japonicum

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Acta Biochim Biophys

Sin 2006, 38: 327-334

doi:10.1111/j.1745-7270.2006.00169.x

Characterization of CD4+ T Cell

Responses in Mice Infected with Schistosoma japonicum

Min-Jun JI, Chuan SU, Yong

WANG, Hai-Wei WU, Xiao-Ping CAI, Guang-Fu LI, Xiang ZHU, Xin-Jun WANG,

Zhao-Song ZHANG, and Guan-Ling WU*

Department

of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China

Received: December

7, 2005       

Accepted: March 22,

2006

This work was

supported by the grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.

30430600 and No. 30100156)

*Corresponding

author: Tel/Fax, 86-25-86863187; E-mail, [email protected]

Abstract        To better understand the interaction

between Schistosoma japonicum and its murine host, we characterized the

immune response of CD4+ T cells generated during an experimental

S. japonicum infection based on different key aspects, from gene

expression to cell behavior. Mouse oligonucleotide microarrays were used to

compare gene expression profiles of CD4+ T cells from spleens of mice

at 0, 3, 6 and 13 weeks post-infection. Flow cytometry analysis was used to

determine type 1 and type 2 cytokine-secreting CD4+ T cells, to test apoptosis of

CD4+

T cells and to count CD4+CD25+ T cells, a kind of regulatory

subpopulation of CD4+ T cells. The percentage of

interleukin-4-producing CD4+ T cells was found to be much higher than

that of g-interferon-producing cells,

especially after stimulation with S. japonicum egg antigen, which

was consistent with type 1 and type 2 cytokine gene expression in the genechip.

Microarray data also showed that S. japonicum induced the increased

expression of Th2 response-related genes, whereas some transcripts related to

the Th1 responsive pathway were depressed. Flow cytometry analysis showed a

marked increase in the apoptotic CD4+ T cells from 6 weeks

post-infection and in the ratio of CD4+CD25+ to CD4+ T cells

in infected mice after 13 weeks. We therefore concluded that experimental

infection of mice with S. japonicum resulted in a Th2-skewed immune

response, which was to a great extent monitored by the immune regulatory

network, including cytokine cross-modulation, cell apoptosis and the

subpopulation of regulatory cells.

Key words        Schistosoma japonicum; CD4+ T cell; immune deviation;

immune regulatory network

Schistosoma japonicum continues to pose

a public health problem in Asia, particularly in parts of China [1] and the

Philippines, despite extensive control efforts and the availability of

praziquantel. In the past five years, China witnessed a large-scale outbreak of

acute S. japonicum infection along the Yangtze River [2]. The question

of how to deal effectively with schistosomiasis became the focus of attention

and research throughout the world. A vaccine that reduces parasite or egg

burdens would be a valuable tool to complement existing disease prevention

programs and could offer a more practical approach than repeated chemotherapy

[3]. Even though a wide range of potential vaccine candidate antigens is

available, the specific protective reactions evoked by a vaccine against

schistosomes, either through eliciting strong cellular immunity or

preferentially inducing humoral immunity, are still uncertain. Most

importantly, it is well recognized that a schistosomiasis vaccine will depend

on the generation of an antigen-specific CD4+ T cell

response.

The significant conceptual revolution in immunology to divide mouse

CD4+ T cells into two major populations, Th1 and Th2, with contrasting

and cross-regulating cytokine profiles [4], deeply influenced our understanding

of immunity to schistosome infection. Th1 cells are important for macrophage

activation and the generation of strong cell-mediated immunity, and are

involved in resistance against many intracellular microorganisms, whereas Th2

cells primarily activate the humoral defense mechanisms, classically associated

with resistance to many extracellular helminths. Many previous studies on mice,

rats and humans infected with Schistosoma mansoni suggested that a vaccine

might best exploit Th2-biased effector mechanisms against the parasite.

However, the role of Th2 responses in regulating susceptibility/symbiosis or

resistance to schistosome infections has long been a subject of dispute,

thus schistosomiasis vaccination strategy has not been clearly defined till now

[5].

In order to further understand the immunological basis of a

vaccine-induced protective mechanism, we explored the genetic and immune

elements involved in the natural progression of S. japonicum infection.

We investigated the characteristics of CD4+ T cells

isolated from mice without schistosomiasis, and mice infected with S.

japonicum at 3, 6 and 13 weeks post-infection, corresponding to early,

acute and chronic infection, respectively [6], using flow cytometry and DNA

microarray techniques. This work focused on T helper cell responses and their

relevant downstream effector molecules in the course of S. japonicum

infection, which might provide new insights to elucidate the relationship

between the host and the parasite, and contribute to the development of an

anti-schistosome vaccine through preferential induction of specific Th

polarization or a balance of Th1/Th2 type response.

Materials and Methods

Parasites, experimental

animals and infections

A Chinese mainland strain of S. japonicum was maintained in Oncomelania

hupensis snails as intermediate hosts and mice as definitive hosts.

Cercariae for experimental infections were used within 1 h of collection. Female

BALB/c mice, 8 weeks old, were obtained from the Center of Experimental Animals

(Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences,

Shanghai, China). BALB/c mice were percutaneously infected with S. japonicum

by covering the abdomen for 20 min with a glass slide carrying approximately 20

cercariae.

Intracelluar interferon (IFN)-g and interleukin (IL)-4 levels of CD4+ T cells

At 3, 6 and 13 weeks post-infection, groups of four randomly chosen

mice were killed. Intracellular cytokine detection was carried out by flow

cytometry on spleen cells from uninfected mice and mice with 3-, 6- or 13-week old

schistosome infections. Spleens were aseptically removed and single cell

suspensions were prepared by gently teasing them through sterile stainless

steel screens into complete RPMI 1640. Splenocytes were incubated (1?106 cells/ml/well; 4 h, 37 ?C, 5% CO2) in the presence of medium alone or of soluble S. japonicum egg

antigen (SEA; 50 mg/ml). Prior to performing intracellular flow cytometry, cells were

treated with Brefeldin A (10 mg/ml; Pharmingen, San Diego, USA). Cells were

washed by centrifugation at 300 g for 10 min with 1% fetal calf serum in

phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), and blocked for 15 min at 4 ?C with 50% fetal

calf serum in PBS. Cells were surface-stained for 45 min at 4 ?C with

Cy-Chrome-conjugated anti-mouse CD4 (Pharmingen), then fixed and permeabilized

in Cytofix/Cytoperm medium (Pharmingen) for 20 min at 4 ?C. After washing,

cells were incubated in 50 ml of 1?perm/wash solution, mixed with

0.5 mg of fluorescein-isothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated anti-mouse IFN-g and

phycoerythrin (PE)-conjugated anti-mouse IL-4 (Pharmingen) for 30 min at 4 ?C.

After incubation, the cells were washed and fixed with 1% paraformaldehyde.

Flow cytometry was carried out with FACSCalibur cytometer (Becton Dickinson,

San Jose, USA), and the data were analyzed with the CellQuest software program

(version 1.22; Becton Dickinson). In all experiments, unstained cells and cells

stained separately with each fluorochrome were included to optimize

compensation setting. The addition of irrelevant isotype-matched monoclonal

antibody in parallel with experimental samples was used to confirm that the

cytokine signals detected were specific. Lymphocytes were gated according to

their forward and side-scatter characteristics. Cy-Chromestained CD4+ lymphocytes were gated and 15,000 events were analyzed per sample.

IFN-g and IL-4 positive CD4+ T cells were analyzed as

dot-plots. FACS quadrants were set with cells from infected mice using

negative controls. The percentage of CD4+ T cells

containing intracytoplasmic IL-4 or IFN-g was determined in

appropriate quadrants.

Isolation of CD4+ T cells

and array hybridization

At each time point (0, 3, 6 and 13 weeks post-infection), CD4+ T cells were isolated from spleens of five mice, pooled and used as

starting material for DNA microarray detection. For purification of CD4+ T cells from the splenocytes, a magnetic activated cell sorter

system (Miltenyi Biotec, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany) was used according to the

manufacturer’s instructions. Antisense cRNA of purified CD4+ T cells was prepared following Affymetrix (Santa Clara, USA) recommendations.

Briefly, total RNA was extracted from the purified CD4+ T cells

with the Trizol procedure. Double-stranded cDNA was retro-transcribed with a

special oligo(dT)24 primer with a T7 RNA polymerase promoter

sequence and the Superscript Choice System for cDNA synthesis (Life

Technologies, Gaithersburg, USA). Double-stranded cDNA (1 mg) was

transcribed to biotin-labeled anti-sense cRNA with an ENZO kit (Affymetrix).

cRNA was purified on an affinity column (RNeasy; Qiagen, Hilden, Germany), and

then fragmented to an average size of 50200 bp by incubation for 35

min at 94 ?C in 40 mM Tris-acetate at pH 8.1. Samples were diluted in the

hybridization solution to a final concentration of 0.05 mg/ml and heated at

94 ?C for 5 min. Analysis of the samples was done by hybridizing the fragmented

cRNAs to the Affymetrix U74A genechip array, representing approximately 6000

murine genes and 6000 Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs), at 45 ?C for 16 h in a

rotisserie oven set at 60 rpm. After hybridization, the chips were rinsed with

non-stringent wash buffer, then stringent wash buffer, stained by incubation

with 2 mg/ml of PE-streptavidin (Molecular Probes, Eugene, USA), washed

again, and read by a confocal scanner (GeneArray 2500; Agilent, Palo Alto, USA)

and analyzed with the Microarray Suite 5.0 gene expression analysis program

(Affymetrix).

Apoptosis of CD4+ T cells

The apoptosis of CD4+ T cells was examined in mouse

spleens during S. japonicum infection. To determine early membrane and

DNA changes, splenocytes were stained with FITC-conjugated Annexin V and

propidium iodide (PI) according to the manufacturer’s instructions (BioVision,

Mountain View, USA). Spleen cells were prepared as described above. Cells (1?106) were first surface-labeled with

Cy-Chrome-conjugated anti-CD4 for 15 min at room temperature. After washing,

cells were suspended in 400 ml Annexin V binding buffer in the presence of 5 ml Annexin V-FITC

and PI for 5 min at room temperature and immediately processed by flow cytometry.

Cy-Chrome-stained CD4+ lymphocytes were gated and 10,000 events were

analyzed per sample.

Numeration of spleen CD4+CD25+ T cells

The ratio of CD4+CD25+ T cells

to CD4+ T cells was also analyzed using flow cytometry with spleen cells from

uninfected and schistosome-infected mice. Splenocyte suspension was aseptically

prepared from each mouse with specific checking points. FITC anti-mouse CD4 and

PE anti-CD25 antibodies (eBioscience, San Diego, USA) were simultaneously added

to 1?106 splenocytes,

and co-cultured for 15 min at 37 ?C in the dark to investigate the expression

of cell surface markers. After they were washed twice with PBS, labeled cells

were suspended in 500 ml PBS and analyzed using a FACSCalibur cytometer and CellQuest software.

Viable lymphocytes were gated based on forward scatter/side scatter profiles,

after which CD4+CD25+ T cells were gated based

on expression of CD4 and CD25. In each experiment, FITC-conjugated anti-rat

immunoglobulin (Ig) G2b antibody and PE-anti-rat IgG1 antibody were used as

isotype controls.

Statistical analysis

The data from flow cytometry were expressed as mean+/SD for the

control and experimental groups. The statistical significance (P<0.05) was determined by Student's t-test.

Results

Frequency of type 1 and type 2

cytokine-secreting CD4+ T cells during S. japonicum

infection

Three specific time points were selected to determine the cytokine

production by CD4+ T cells from mice spleens infected with

S. japonicum, and uninfected mice spleens as controls. We used

intracellular cytokine staining technology to specially investigate if there

were characteristic changes in the frequency of type 1 (IFN-g-producing) and

type 2 (IL-4-producing) CD4+ T cells as the infection

progressed. As shown in Table 1, from 3 weeks post-infection to 13 weeks

post-infection, the frequency of IL-4-producing CD4+ T cells

showed a remarkable upregulation tendency, in media alone or in SEA

stimulation. A significant increase of intracellular IL-4-stained CD4+ T cells in 13-week-infected mice, compared to those in uninfected

mice, is shown in Fig. 1. In contrast, IFN-g-producing CD4+ T cells underwent a slight increase from the early to the chronic

stage of infection, and numbered less than IL-4-producing CD4+ T cells after 6 weeks post-infection. The results suggested that

Th2 type response, centering on IL-4-producing CD4+ T cells,

developed to a dominance after the start of S. japonicum egg laying, the

beginning of the acute stage of S. japonicum infection.

Imbalance of Th1/Th2 type

responsive pathway

Compared with the protein level of two representative cytokines,

IL-4 and IFN-g, the gene transcripts of the counterpart should be investigated. To

further explore the general pattern of immune response, the expression profiles

of CD4+ T cells from uninfected mice and mice infected with S. japonicum

for 3, 6 and 13 weeks were observed on a genome scale. A major part of

differential genes belonging to Th2 responsive genes indicated an increase. As

shown in Table 2, chemokines (ECF-L, MIP1a), costimulatory molecules

(OX40, CD28, inducible T cell costimulator [ICOS]), the Janus kinase-signal

transducer and activator of transcription (Jak-STAT) signaling pathway (Jak3,

SH2 domain protein 2A) and transcription factors (Jun B, NFATc, MAIL) kept an

upregulating tendency in the course of S. japonicum infection,

especially after numerous egg laying. In addition, many antibody genes, such as

IgA, IgG1, IgG3, IgM and IgE, had the same trend as the above Th2 related

genes. Of these, IgM showed a higher level than any other antibody in the

chronic stage of infection and IgE expression rapidly increased with large

numbers of schistosome eggs depositing in the tissue. However, Fig. 2

shows that IgG2b, the representative antibody of Th1 response, was

downregulated in the chronic course of S. japonicum infection. In

contrast to the upmodulation of Th2 response, the gene transcripts of the

representative cytokines and the trend towards declining expression of

IFN-inducible genes have been discussed previously [7], suggesting the Th1

response and IFN downstream pathway were suppressed. Thus, a marked Th2

response-bias imbalance was observed.

Apoptosis of CD4+ T cells

during infection

Following the demonstration of an imbalance of Th1 and Th2 response

after egg laying, we determined if apoptosis of CD4+ T

lymphocytes occurred abnormally in infected mice during S. japonicum

infection. Splenocytes were specifically labeled with Cy-Chrome-conjugated

anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody, then dual-stained with FITC-conjugated Annexin V

as a marker for cell membrane changes indicative of early events associated

with apoptosis, and also with PI to determine the level of late apoptosis in the

CD4+ T lymphocyte population. As shown in Fig. 3, by 3 weeks

post-infection there was little difference in CD4+ T cell

apoptosis between the uninfected mice group and the 3-week-infected mice group.

There was a marked increase in the number of apoptotic CD4+ T cells in the spleens of infected mice at 6 weeks post-infection

with S. japonicum. Even more remarkable changes were observed in

13-week-infected mice compared with uninfected mice.

Proportion of CD4+CD25+ T cells

during S. japonicum infection

To further investigate if CD4+CD25+ T cells, a kind of major regulatory T cell, in CD4+ T cells have any relation to the immune deviation to Th2 response

during S. japonicum infection, we made the quantitative and dynamic

analysis on the ratio of CD4+CD25+ T cells

to CD4+ T cells from early to chronic infection. Fig. 4 shows that

the average ratios in the uninfected group and 3-week post-infection group were

approximately the same, but were quite distinct in the 6-week post-infection

and 13-week post-infection groups versus the control group. By 6 weeks

post-infection, there was a significant decrease in the ratios of CD4+CD25+ T cells to CD4+ T cells

in the spleens of infected mice. In contrast, the proportion of CD4+CD25+ T cells in 13-week-infected mice was

dramatically higher than in the uninfected controls.

Discussion

CD4+ T cells play an important role in the

regulation of immune response and in the modulation of the functions of other

cells, including dendritic cells, natural killer cells, macrophages, and

cytotoxic T cells. This modulation is mainly mediated through cytokines, and it

may also involve direct cell-cell interactions through relative surface

molecules. In the present work, to understand the genetic and immune elements

involved in schistosomiasis progression, we investigated the participation of

CD4+ T cells in cell responses during S. japonicum infection in

mice using flow cytometry and DNA microarray techniques. This work will provide

general insights into the immune pattern and immune regulatory network induced

by S. japonicum.

To summarize, our results showed that there were dynamic changes in

the frequency of Th1 and Th2 cells in the spleens of mice during infection. A

dramatic elevation in IL-4-producing Th2 cells was coincident with a

generalized type 2 cytokine gene profile [7], especially after the onset of egg

laying. In contrast, IFN-g-producing Th1 cells had only a small increase as infection

progressed, whereas the IFN-g gene representation peaked at the acute stage of schistosome

infection, then plateaued. Thus, the pattern of Th1/Th2, with continuous, vast

egg depositing in tissues, was gradually out of balance and inclined to a

Th2-predominant response, so-called “Th2 polarization”, which was

mainly led by schistosome egg antigens [8] and their inducible “cytokines

field” [9].

To further clarify this characteristic pattern of Th2 polarization,

we tracked the gene expression of some downstream effector molecules in the Th1

and Th2-responsive pathway. Our previous studies [7] on the downmodulated

outcome of IFN-inducible genes suggested a dramatic inhibition of the IFN

pathway during infection progression. In contrast to the gradual fall of the

Th1 effect, Th2 response was very highly activated, with persistently elevated

expression of Th2-related genes. Our results showed a similar pattern in

chemokine expression in S. japonicum infection as that found in the

course of S. masoni infection [10]. MIP1a and ECF-L, a novel

eosinophil chemotactic cytokine [11], were associated with type 2 egg-induced

responses, which recruited macrophages and eosinophils to local inflammatory

sites and participated in schistosome egg antigen-elicited granuloma formation

and subsequent fibrosis. It was suggested that the pattern of chemokine

expression might determine the character of an inflammatory effect to initiate

a polarized immune response. Of particular note, CD28, Jak3, NFATc, Jun B and

others, in association with signal recognition, the Jak-STAT signaling pathway

and gene transcription, were essential for maintaining the predominance of Th2

cell activation during chronic schistosomiasis. Engagement of CD28 on T cells

provided a costimulatory signal necessary for T cell activation and differentiation.

Previous studies suggested that priming of Th2 cells was more dependent on CD28

activation than Th1 cells. CD28-deficient mice infected with S. mansoni

generated diminished egg antigen-driven IL-4 and IL-5 production and reduced

parasite antigen-specific IgG1 and polyclonal IgE secretion [12]. Analysis of

additional costimulatory molecules (ICOS, OX40) revealed a generally similar

pattern, with a significant indication of T cell activation in S. mansoni-infected

mice [13]. ICOS costimulation led to the induction of Th2 cytokines without

augmentation of IL-2 production [14]. If the ICOS-B7RP-1 costimulatory pathway

was disrupted, hepatic immunopathology was enhanced and IFN-g production by

CD4+ T cells was increased in murine schistosomiasis, suggesting an

important role for ICOS in Th2 cell differentiation and expansion [15]. Jak3

was an essential kinase for the IL-4-induced Jak-STAT signaling pathway [16].

IL-4 used Jak to initiate STAT6, a transcription factor required for many

biological functions. In addition to Jak-STAT, type 2 cytokines also activated

a variety of other signaling molecules that were vital in regulating the

IL-4-induced response. It was demonstrated that T helper cell-specific

transcription factors, such as NFATc, AP-1/Jun B and LRG-21, determined the

commitment of Th2 cells [17]. Finally, Th2-related antibodies, especially

increased IgE and IgM expression levels, were thought to be a well-recognized

feature as a cross-regulatory antibody phenotype of immune response to schistosome

infection [18,19]. Thus, the molecular basis for driving the development of Th2

response could probably be explained by multiple mechanisms, including

differential cytokine signaling, differential chemokine expression,

differential expression of transcription factors and/or differential remodeling

of Th2-specific genes.

Several possible mechanisms involved in the imbalance of Th1 and Th2

responses have been explored. First, it is well known that Th2-derived IL-4 and

IL-10 could cross-regulate the inflammatory activities of cytokines produced by

Th1 cells. There are also mutual modulations between effecting antibodies

(IgG1, IgG3, IgE) and blocking antibodies (IgM, IgG4), mainly involved in the

effect of antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Second, after

the acute stage of infection, a large number of CD4+ T cells

underwent apoptosis. This phenomenon was also observed in S. mansoni

infection [20]. Combined with the cytokines secreted by Th1 and Th2 subsets, we

speculated that apoptotic CD4+ T cells were probably Th1 cells

[21]. Third, in mice, CD4+CD25+ T cells

represent one of the CD4+ T cell subpopulations with

immunoregulatory properties. It was demonstrated that natural regulatory CD4+CD25+ T cells over-expressed a subset of Th2 gene transcripts

[22], representing a unique form of Th2-like differentiation, which could

monitor the tolerant state. Accumulating evidence suggested that CD25 mediated

by c-maf promoted the production of Th2 cytokines [23]. Our results showed the

increased proportion of CD4+CD25+ T cells

and a high level of Th2 cytokines in the chronic stage of infection, indicating

CD4+CD25+ T cells might contribute to maintaining the

Th2 type preferential immune environment. The inhibiting effect of CD4+CD25+ T cells was observed in the chronicity of S.

japonicum infection in the preparatory experiment (data not shown), but the

inhibitory mechanism was still unknown. Finally, other mechanisms, such as

direct cell contact through cell surface molecules, chemokines and their receptors,

were thought to be the important regulatory elements in CD4+ T cell response to S. japonicum infection.

Th2 polarization during schistosome infection was also observed in

many various animal models and in infected individuals of schistosome endemic

areas. The skewing of Th2 polarization toward low protection and even blocking

effectors provides a unique model of how schistosome can survive and take

advantage of the host? immune response to reach an equilibrium between host defense and

parasitic escape strategies responsible for the chronicity of the infection.

Therefore, medical intervention, including anti-schistosome drugs and vaccines,

could break the deadlock in the course of the host-parasite interaction.

Acknowledgement

We kindly thank Prof. Andreas Ruppel from University of Heidelberg

(Heidelberg, Germany) for his critical review of this manuscript.

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