Authors

A Sanchez Quintero ¹; R Maizels²; D Donaldson¹; N A Mabbott¹;  ¹ Roslin Institute;  ² Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology

Discussion

Gastro-intestinal helminths are common in livestock and humans in developing countries. H. polygyrus is a natural helminth of mice that infects the small intestine and models comparative helminth infections in humans and livestock. Although the immune response is well characterized, the influence of H. polygyrus on the microarchitecture of secondary and tertiary lymphoid organs in the gut (gut associated lymphoid tissues; GALT) has not been described. GALT consists of Peyer patches (PP) and isolated lymphoid follicles (ILF) that maintain homeostasis and protect from infection, and thus these functions may be enhanced or compromised by H. polygyrus or its products. Our studies have shown that H. polygyrus increases the size of PP and the B cell follicles within them local to the site of initial infection as well as altering mononuclear phagocyte positioning in PP throughout the small intestine.  H. polygyrus infection also reduced the number of ILF in both the small and large intestines. Changes to enterocyte differentiation in the follicle associated epithelium that overlies the PP were also noted. These data demonstrate that H. polygyrus infection alters GALT microarchitecture which may influence the response to other antigens and pathogens present at the time of H. polygyrus infection.