MIF's Role in Toxoplasma gondii Infection and Inflammation
Author Information
Author(s): Cavalcanti Marta G., Mesquita Jacilene S., Madi Kalil, Feijó Daniel F., Assunção-Miranda Iranaia, Souza Heitor S. P., Bozza Marcelo T.
Primary Institution: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Hypothesis
MIF participates in the inflammatory response induced by oral infection with T. gondii.
Conclusion
MIF controls T. gondii infection but increases local and systemic inflammation, tissue damage, and mortality.
Supporting Evidence
- Mif−/− mice had reduced lethality and ileal inflammation despite increased intestinal parasite load.
- Lack of MIF resulted in decreased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
- MIF deficiency led to less tissue damage in the intestines of infected mice.
- Systemic inflammation was less pronounced in Mif−/− mice compared to wild-type mice.
Takeaway
MIF is like a helper that fights off a bug called T. gondii, but it can also make things worse by causing a lot of inflammation and damage in the body.
Methodology
Mice were orally infected with T. gondii, and various inflammatory responses and tissue damages were measured.
Potential Biases
Potential bias in the interpretation of results due to the specific genetic background of the mice used.
Limitations
The study primarily used a specific mouse strain, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.
Participant Demographics
C57BL/6 mice, both wild-type and Mif−/−, aged 8-12 weeks.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p≤0.05
Statistical Significance
p≤0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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