CD4 T Cells and Major Histocompatibility Complex Class II Expression Influence Worm Expulsion and Increased Intestinal Muscle Contraction during Trichinella spiralisInfection

Expulsion of intestinal nematode parasites and the associated increased contraction by intestinal muscle are T cell dependent, since both are attenuated in athymic rodents. The CD4 T-cell subset has been strongly associated with worm expulsion; however, the relationship between these cells, antigen presentation, and worm expulsion is not definitive and the role of these factors in intestinal muscle hypercontractility has not been defined. We …