AUTHOR=Rodríguez Ernesto , Carasi Paula , Frigerio Sofía , da Costa Valeria , van Vliet Sandra , Noya Verónica , Brossard Natalie , van Kooyk Yvette , García-Vallejo Juan J. , Freire Teresa 

TITLE=Fasciola hepatica Immune Regulates CD11c+ Cells by Interacting with the Macrophage Gal/GalNAc Lectin

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology

VOLUME=Volume 8 - 2017

YEAR=2017

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2017.00264

DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2017.00264

ISSN=1664-3224

ABSTRACT=Fasciolosis, caused by Fasciola hepatica and F. gigantica, is a trematode zoonosis of interest in public health and livestock production. Like other helminths, F. hepatica modulates the host immune response by inducing potent polarized Th2 and regulatory T cell immune responses, and by down-regulating the production of Th1 cytokines. In this work we show that F. hepatica glycans increase Th2 immune responses by immune modulating TLR-induced maturation and function of dendritic cells (DCs). This process was mediated by the Macrophage Gal/GalNAc Lectin (MGL) expressed on DCs, that recognizes the Tn antigen (GalNAc-Ser/Thr) on parasite components. More interestingly, we identified MGL-expressing CD11c+ cells in infected animals and show that these cells are recruited both to the peritoneum ant the liver upon F. hepatica infection. These cells express the regulatory cytokines IL-10, TNF and TGF and a variety of regulatory markers. Furthermore MGL+ CD11c+ cells expand parasite-specific Th2/regulatory cells and suppress Th1 polarization. The results presented here suggest a potential role of MGL in the immune modulation of DCs induced by F. hepatica, and contribute to a better understanding of the molecular and immune regulatory mechanisms induced by this parasite.