Host genetic background determines whether IL-18 deficiency results in increased susceptibility or resistance to murine Leishmania major infection

XQ Wei, W Niedbala, D Xu, ZX Luo, KGJ Pollock… - Immunology letters, 2004 - Elsevier
Interleukin-18 (IL-18) plays an important role in innate and acquired immunity. IL-18 gene
deficient (IL-18-/-) mice of the 129× CD1 strain were reported to be more susceptible to
Leishmania major infection than the wild-type mice. In contrast IL-18-/-mice of the C57BL/6
background were found to be as resistant as the wild-type (WT) mice. To resolve this
discrepancy, IL-18 gene deficiency was introduced by backcrossing on to the highly
susceptible BALB/c, or the moderately resistant DBA/1 backgrounds. Here we have …