Question

In your own word please and be as specific:

What is the significance of IL-17 for Giardia immunity? What cells are involved in secreting IL-17, what Giardia antigens are invovled and is the response innate, humoral or cell-mediated? Provide an explanation using the research article to support your answer: http://cvi.asm.org/content/23/1/2.full

Answer 1

Giardia lamblia are protozoa (protist) that can infect intestine and cause mild to severe diarrhoea, known as giardiasis. This organism spreads through the contaminated drinking water. G. lamblia is one of the major causes of diarrhoea throughout the world. Children are at more risk of acquiring this infection. About 1% to 30% of children in the day-care centers are the carriers of G. lamblia.

In patients with Giardia, the IL-17A and tumornecrosisfactor(TNF) provide protective immunity, the mRNA levels of IL-17 increase in these patients. The CD4⁺ T cells of the small intestine (those present in the lamina propia) secrete most of the IL-17. The parasite antigens that are involved are CD4⁺ CD197⁻ CD45RA⁻ of the effector memory cells and is the response is innate immune response.