Enhancement of intracellular replication of Toxoplasma gondii by IL-6. Interactions with IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha.

Toxoplasma gondii is a major pathogen of immunocompromised hosts, and one defense mechanism against the parasite is activation of macrophages (M phi) for toxoplasmacidal activity by IFN-gamma after triggering by TNF-alpha. IL-6, IFN-gamma, and TNF-alpha are cytokines involved in inflammatory responses and are induced by T. gondii infection. We studied the interaction of these three cytokines using an in vitro model of T. gondii infection. Pretreatment (but not post-treatment) of unelicited murine peritoneal M phi with IL-6 enhanced T. gondii replication in a dose-dependent manner. Pretreatment with IFN-gamma resulted in active killing of parasites whereas the addition of IL-6 to IFN-gamma pretreatment resulted in a reversal of IFN-gamma-mediated toxoplasmacidal activity. Combining TNF-alpha with IL-6 and IFN-gamma pretreatment resulted in restoration of toxoplasmacidal activity. Addition of a polyclonal anti-TNF-alpha Ab to IL-6 and IFN-gamma pretreatment resulted in enhancement in the IL-6-mediated impairment of IFN-gamma function. These data taken together suggest that IL-6 enhances intracellular replication of T. gondii and reverses IFN-gamma mediated activation of murine peritoneal M phi, and that certain of the interactions between these two cytokines may be at the level of TNF-alpha triggering.