Enhanced Gamma Interferon Production through Activation of Vα14^<i>+</i>Natural Killer T Cells by α-Galactosylceramide in Interleukin-18-Deficient Mice with Systemic Cryptococcosis

• Kazuyoshi Kawakami

  <!--label omitted: 1-->First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa,1 and

• Yuki Kinjo

  <!--label omitted: 1-->First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa,1 and

• Satomi Yara

  <!--label omitted: 1-->First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa,1 and

• Kaori Uezu

  <!--label omitted: 1-->First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa,1 and

• Yoshinobu Koguchi

  <!--label omitted: 1-->First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa,1 and

• Masaki Tohyama

  <!--label omitted: 1-->First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa,1 and

• Masato Azuma

  <!--label omitted: 1-->First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa,1 and

• Kiyoshi Takeda

  <!--label omitted: 2-->Department of Host Defense, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka,2 Japan

• Shizuo Akira

  <!--label omitted: 2-->Department of Host Defense, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka,2 Japan

• Atsushi Saito

  <!--label omitted: 1-->First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa,1 and

• S. H. E. Kaufmann

  editor

抄録

We showed recently that activation of Vα14 + natural killer T cells (NKT cells) by α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer) resulted in increased gamma interferon (IFN-γ) production and host resistance to intravenous infection with Cryptococcus neoformans . In other studies, interleukin-18 (IL-18) activated NKT cells in collaboration with IL-12, suggesting the possible contribution of this cytokine to α-GalCer-induced IFN-γ synthesis. Here we examined the role of IL-18 in α-GalCer-induced Th1 response by using IL-18KO mice with this infection. In these mice, levels of IFN-γ in serum and its synthesis in vitro by spleen cells stimulated with live organisms were not reduced, but rather enhanced, compared to those in wild-type (WT) mice, while such production was completely absent in IL-12KO mice. The enhanced production of IFN-γ correlated with increased IL-12 synthesis but not with reduced production of IL-4, which was rather increased. IFN-γ synthesis in IL-18KO mice was abolished by neutralizing anti-IL-12 antibody and significantly inhibited by neutralization of endogenous IL-4 with a specific monoclonal antibody. In addition, administration of recombinant IL-4 significantly enhanced the production of IFN-γ in WT mice. Finally, the enhanced production of IFN-γ in IL-18KO mice correlated with increased host defense against cryptococcal infection, as indicated by enhancement in α-GalCer-related clearance of microorganisms. Our results indicated that in IL-18KO mice, IFN-γ synthesis was enhanced through overproduction of IL-12 and IL-4 after intravenous infection with C. neoformans and a ligand-specific activation of Vα14 + NKT cells.

収録刊行物

• Infection and Immunity

  Infection and Immunity 69 (11), 6643-6650, 2001-11

  American Society for Microbiology

キーワード

• Infectious Diseases
• Immunology
• Microbiology
• Parasitology

詳細情報

• CRID: 1362262945526569600
• NII論文ID: 30020828960
• DOI: 10.1128/iai.69.11.6643-6650.2001
• ISSN: 10985522
• ISSN: 00199567
• Web Site: https://journals.asm.org/doi/pdf/10.1128/IAI.69.11.6643-6650.2001
• データソース種別:
  • Crossref
  • CiNii Articles