IL-22 Mediates Goblet Cell Hyperplasia and Worm Expulsion in Intestinal Helminth Infection

Type 2 immune responses are essential in protection against intestinal helminth infections. in this study we show that il-22,a cytokine important in defence against bacterial infections in the intestinal tract,is also a critical mediator of anti-helminth immunity. after infection with nippostrongylus brasiliensis,a rodent hookworm,il-22-deficient mice showed impaired worm expulsion despite normal levels of type 2 cytokine production. the impaired worm expulsion correlated with reduced goblet cell hyperplasia and reduced expression of goblet cell markers. we further confirmed our findings in a second nematode model,the murine whipworm trichuris muris. t.muris infected il-22-deficient mice had a similar phenotype to that seen in n.brasiliensis infection,with impaired worm expulsion and reduced goblet cell hyperplasia. ex vivo and in vitro analysis demonstrated that il-22 is able to directly induce the expression of several goblet cell markers,including mucins. taken together,our findings reveal that il-22 plays an important role in goblet cell activation,and thus,a key role in anti-helminth immunity. © 2013 turner et al.