Korean J Parasitol.  2008 Jun;46(2):95-99. 10.3347/kjp.2008.46.2.95.

A 27 kDa Cysteine Protease Secreted by Newly Excysted Paragonimus westermani Metacercariae Induces Superoxide Anion Production and Degranulation of Human Eosinophils

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Parasitology, Cheju National University College of Medicine, Jeju 690-756, Korea.
  • 2Department of Internal Medicine and Immunology,Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA.
  • 3Department of Environmental Medical Biology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, and Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 120-752, Korea. myeong@yumc.yonsei.ac.kr

Abstract

Eosinophil degranulation plays a crucial role in tissue inflammatory reactions associated with helminth parasitic nfections and allergic diseases. Paragonimus westermani, a lung fluke causing human paragonimiasis, secretes a large amount of cysteine proteases, which are involved in nutrient uptake, tissue invasion, and modulation of hos's immune responses. There is, however, limited information about the response of eosinophils to direct stimulation by cysteine proteases (CP) secreted by P. westermani. In the present study, we tested whether degranulation and superoxide production from human eosinophils can be induced by stimulation of the 2 CP (27 kDa and 28 kDa) purified from excretory-secretory products (ESP) of P. westermani newly excysted metacercariae (PwNEM). A large quantity of eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EDN) was detected in the culture supernatant when human eosinophils isolated from the peripheral blood were incubated with the purified 27 kDa CP. Furthermore, the 27 kDa CP induced superoxide anion production by eosinophils in time- and dose-dependent manners. In contrast, the purified 28 kDa CP did not induce superoxide production and degranulation. These findings suggest that the 27 kDa CP secreted by PwNEM induces superoxide production and degranulation of human eosinophils, which may be involved in eosinophil-mediated tissue inflammatory responses during the larval migration in human paragonimiasis.

Keyword

Paragonimus westermani; 27 kDa cysteine protease; eosinophils; superoxide anion; degranulation

MeSH Terms

Animals
Astacoidea/parasitology
*Cell Degranulation
Cysteine Endopeptidases/*immunology/isolation & purification
Eosinophils/*immunology/metabolism
Helminth Proteins/*immunology/isolation & purification
Humans
Paragonimiasis/*immunology/metabolism
Paragonimus westermani/*enzymology/isolation & purification
Superoxides/*immunology
Full Text Links
  • KJP
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr