Dendritic cells play a role in host susceptibility to Cryptosporidium parvum infection

• Depletion of DCs in vivo increases susceptibility to Cryptosporidium parvum infection.
• Adoptive transfer of stimulated DCs reduces C. parvum infection levels.
• Reduction in infection correlates to an increase in IFN-γ in T cell.
• DCs pulsed with sporozoites and co-cultured with CD4+ and CD8+ T cells produced higher IFN-γ levels.

Our previous studies have described dendritic cells (DCs) to be important sources of Th1 cytokines such as IL-12 and IL-2 in vitro, following stimulation with Cryptosporidium parvum antigens. We further established the role of DCs during cryptosporidiosis using a diphtheria toxin promoter regulated transgenic CD11c-DTR/EGFP mouse model. In vivo depletion of CD11c+ cells in CD11c-DTR-Tg mice significantly increased susceptibility to C. parvum infection. Adoptive transfer of unstimulated or antigen stimulated DCs into CD11c+ depleted CD11c-DTR-Tg mice resulted in an early decrease in parasite load at 4 days post infection. However, this response was transient since parasite load increased in mice engrafted with either unstimulated DCs or DCs stimulated with solubilized antigen by 6 days post infection. In contrast, in mice engrafted with DCs stimulated with live sporozoites, parasite load remained low during the entire period, suggesting the development of a more effective and sustained response. A corresponding increase in IFN-γ expression in T cells from spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes was also noted. Consistent with the in vivo engraftment study, DCs that are pulsed with live sporozoites in vitro and co-cultured with CD4+ and CD8+ T cells produced higher IFN-γ levels. Our study establishes the importance of DCs in susceptibility to infection by C. parvum and as important mediators of immune responses.