CXCL9 is important for recruiting immune T cells into the brain and inducing an accumulation of the T cells to the areas of tachyzoite proliferation to prevent reactivation of chronic cerebral infection with Toxoplasma gondii

Eri Ochiai, Qila Sa, Morgan Brogli, Tomoya Kudo, Xisheng Wang, Jitender P. Dubey, Yasuhiro Suzuki

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

52 Scopus citations

Abstract

T cells are required to maintain the latency of chronic infection with Toxoplasma gondii in the brain. Here, we examined the role of noneglutamic acid-leucine-arginine CXC chemokine CXCL9 for T-cell recruitment to prevent reactivation of infection with T. gondii. Severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice were infected and treated with sulfadiazine to establish a chronic infection. Immune T cells from infected wildtype mice were transferred into the SCID mice in combination with treatment with anti-CXCL9 or control sera. Three days later, sulfadiazine was discontinued to initiate reactivation of infection. Numbers of CD4+and CD8+ + T cells isolated from the brains were markedly less in mice treated with anti-CXCL9 serum than in mice treated with control serum at 3 days after sulfadiazine discontinuation. Amounts of tachyzoite (acute stage form of T. gondii)-specific SAG1 mRNA and numbers of foci associated with tachyzoites were significantly greater in the former than the latter at 5 days after sulfadiazine discontinuation. An accumulation of CD3+ T cells into the areas of tachyzoite growth was significantly less frequent in the SCID mice treated with anti-CXCL9 serum than in mice treated with control serum. These results indicate that CXCL9 is crucial for recruiting immune T cells into the brain and inducing an accumulation of the T cells into the areas where tachyzoites proliferate to prevent reactivation of chronic T. gondii infection.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)314-324
Number of pages11
JournalAmerican Journal of Pathology
Volume185
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 2015

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2015 American Society for Investigative Pathology.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pathology and Forensic Medicine

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