Dermacentor andersoni: effects of repeated infestations on lymphocyte proliferation, cytokine production, and adhesion-molecule expression by BALB/c mice

Abstract

The effects of repeated infestations with Dermacentor andersoni nymphs on the lymphocyte functions of BALB/c mice were investigated. The in-vitro proliferation responses to concanavalin-A or salivary-gland molecules, the production of cytokines, and the expression of two adhesion molecules—leucocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) and very late activation-4 (VLA-4)—were all studied. In addition, the ability of salivary-gland extract or saliva from D. andersoni to modulate expression of lymphocyte adhesion molecules in vitro was determined.

The proliferative responses of T-lymphocytes to concanavalin-A were significantly suppressed after first and second infestations, and significant increases in lymphocyte proliferation in the presence of tick salivary-gland antigen were observed in infested mice. After two infestations, production of interleukin-2 was significantly decreased but that of interferon-γ remained unchanged. Production of interleukin-4 and interleukin-10 was significantly enhanced in infested mice after both the first and second infestations. Expression of LFA-1 and VLA-4 by lymphocytes from infested mice was suppressed. Furthermore, both a salivary-gland extract and the saliva of D. andersoni reduced the in-vitro expression of both of these adhesion molecules by lymphocytes from tick-naive mice.