The role of platelets in the pathogenesis of and immunity to helminth infections
type: CreativeWork
description: Background: Platelets are small, anucleate cells which circulate in blood and are often the first to respond to tissue damage and vascular inflammation caused by pathogens. Here they not only maintain tissue integrity and prevent bleeding, but also initiate and regulate a vast variety of immunologic responses. Little is known on the role of platelets in helminth infections, despite our understanding that many helminth species cause significant vascular pathology as they transfer from the circulatory system to diverse tissues as part of their life cycles. Based on previous studies showing tight association between platelets and innate immune responses during infection with other pathogens, we hypothesized that platelets significantly contribute toward acute (vascular) immunity to helminth infection. Objectives: This project aimed to investigate the role of platelets in regulating acute innate immune responses following infection with the murine gastro-intestinal nematode N. brasiliensis (Nb), commonly used to model human helminthiases. Specifically, it aimed to characterized plateletregulated responses involved in acute innate immunity during the pulmonary stage of infection, in which larvae exit the pulmonary vasculature and invade host lung tissue. Methods: C57BL/6mice were infected with 500 L3 Nb larvae, and the association of platelets with acute innate immune responses in the circulation and the lung were established by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. In further experiments, mice were depleted of their platelets using antibodies prior to infection with Nb and the effect of this on pulmonary pathology and innate immune responses was inferred from flow cytometric and histologic analyses of pulmonary tissues. Lastly, antibodies were used to interfere with platelet receptors during Nb infection to gain mechanistic insight into platelet regulation of neutrophil responses. Results: Infection with N. brasiliensis was associated with significant changes in the …
abstract: Background: Platelets are small, anucleate cells which circulate in blood and are often the first to respond to tissue damage and vascular inflammation caused by pathogens. Here they not only maintain tissue integrity and prevent bleeding, but also initiate and regulate a vast variety of immunologic responses. Little is known on the role of platelets in helminth infections, despite our understanding that many helminth species cause significant vascular pathology as they transfer from the circulatory system to diverse tissues as part of their life cycles. Based on previous studies showing tight association between platelets and innate immune responses during infection with other pathogens, we hypothesized that platelets significantly contribute toward acute (vascular) immunity to helminth infection. Objectives: This project aimed to investigate the role of platelets in regulating acute innate immune responses following infection with the murine gastro-intestinal nematode N. brasiliensis (Nb), commonly used to model human helminthiases. Specifically, it aimed to characterized plateletregulated responses involved in acute innate immunity during the pulmonary stage of infection, in which larvae exit the pulmonary vasculature and invade host lung tissue. Methods: C57BL/6mice were infected with 500 L3 Nb larvae, and the association of platelets with acute innate immune responses in the circulation and the lung were established by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. In further experiments, mice were depleted of their platelets using antibodies prior to infection with Nb and the effect of this on pulmonary pathology and innate immune responses was inferred from flow cytometric and histologic analyses of pulmonary tissues. Lastly, antibodies were used to interfere with platelet receptors during Nb infection to gain mechanistic insight into platelet regulation of neutrophil responses. Results: Infection with N. brasiliensis was associated with significant changes in the …
author: Pollock, Jonathan
keywords: Clinical Science and Immunology
date published: 2022
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:23:02Z
provider: University of Cape Town
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Department of Pathology

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/37761