# NEMATODE-INDUCED PULMONARY GRANULOMA FORMATION

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA · 1988 · $125,107

## Abstract

Granulomatous disease, a major cause of pulmonary dysfunction,
is an integral component of visceral larva migrans (VLM)
syndrome due to infection with Toxocara canis.
Seroepidemiological findings indicate that in parts of the United
States, 20 to 30% of the pediatric population may be infected
with T. canis.  Little is known about host immunity to this
nematode.  Previous studies have been carried out to dissect the
role of splenic T lymphocytes in the regulation of Toxocara-
specific pulmonary granuloma formation with no success.  All
attempts to transfer granulomatous hypersensitivity from
infected mice to naive recipients using spleen cells or
hyperimmune serum from infected mice have failed.  Recent
studies suggest that less than 5% of the T cells in the spleens of
T. canis-infected mice are antigen specific whereas between 20
and 95% of the T cells in the lung are.  By transferring
inflammatory cells obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage of mice
infected with T. canis directly into the lungs of naive recipients,
granulomatous hypersensitivity can be successfully transferred.
Therefore, we now have a model system in which we can study the
immunoregulation of the pulmonary inflammatory reaction in
mice infected with Toxocara and by embolizing antigen-coated
beads into the lung, we can study granuloma formation in the
absence of systemic sensitization.  This proposal seeks to continue
the studies carried out in the original proposal.  It will extend
them by characterizing the T lymphocytes in the pulmonary
infiltrate of the lungs of infected mice and compare them with
the T cells in the spleen especially as regards their role in the
induction and elicitation of artificial pulmonary granulomas that
form around sepharose beads covalently coated with Toxocara
exoantigens (TEX).  The aims of this proposal are to 1) compare
the immunologic properties of the pulmonary infiltrate
lymphocytes, found in the local environment of granuloma
formation in Toxocara-infected mice, with splenic lymphocytes;
2) determine the role of T lymphocytes, including helper and
effector subsets, in the formation of the TEX-coated bead
granuloma in Toxocara-infected mice; 3) evaluate lymphokine
production of the kinds deemed essestial for eosinophilrich
granuloma formation by cells of the pulmony infiltrate relative to
spleen cells in mice infected with Toxocara; and 4) define the
relationship between the number of different T cell types in the
pulmonary infiltrate and larval worm burden with respect to
length of infection in mice infected with Toxocara.  In the short
term, these studies will allow an insight into specific organ
immunity as compared with the usually studies systemic immunity
of the spleen.  The long-range goal of these studies is to
understand the interactions of the cells comprising the
inflammatory infiltrate.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3129427
- **Project number:** 5R01AI019968-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA
- **SAM.gov UEI:** QB12VPNQQFE8
- **Principal Investigator:** STEPHEN G KAYES
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1988
- **Award amount:** $125,107
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1983-04-01 → 1992-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3129427

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3129427, NEMATODE-INDUCED PULMONARY GRANULOMA FORMATION (5R01AI019968-05). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3129427. Licensed CC0.

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