IL-12 inhibits Th2 cytokine responses induced by eggs of Schistosoma mansoni.

In the mouse, infection with the helminth parasite Schistosoma mansoni results in the selective induction of CD4+ T lymphocytes belonging to the Th2 subset. Schistosome ova are responsible for the development of Th2 responses seen in patently infected animals and the injection of eggs s.c. into the footpad leads to the development of elevated Th2 cytokine production by T cells in the draining popliteal lymph node. Using the egg injection model, we have shown that IL-12 suppresses schistosome egg-induced Th2 responses as evidenced by decreased IL-4, IL-5, and IL-10 secretion in vitro while increasing the production of the Th1 cytokine IFN-gamma. Similar responses were obtained using either total lymph node cells or purified CD4+ T cells, indicating that IL-12 acts at the T cell level. When given as a single injection IL-12 was most effective at inhibiting Th2 responses when administered 2 days after egg inoculation, a time when T cells are still in a Th0 phase. The suppression of Th2 responses induced by IL-12 was blocked when the animals were simultaneously injected with neutralizing anti-IFN-gamma mAb, either systemically or systemically plus locally. Anti-IFN-gamma also inhibited the enhancement of IFN-gamma responses induced by IL-12 but only if the mAb was administered systemically plus locally. NK cells are likely to be a major source of the immunoregulatory IFN-gamma, because the effects of IL-12 on Th2 cytokine production were suppressed in mice treated with anti-asialo-GM1 Abs. Together these results suggest that IL-12 may have potential use in preventing or treating parasite-induced pathology resulting from Th2 cytokine production.