The Gamma Interferon Receptor Is Required for the Protective Pulmonary Inflammatory Response to Cryptococcus neoformans

ABSTRACT Mice with a null deletion mutation in the gamma interferon (IFN-γ) receptor gene were used to study the role of IFN-γ responsiveness during experimental pulmonary cryptococcosis. Cryptococcus neoformans was inoculated intratracheally into mice lacking the IFN-γ receptor gene (IFN-γR−/−) and into control mice (IFN-γR+/+). The numbers of CFU in lung, spleen, and brain were determined to assess clearance; cytokines produced by lung leukocytes were measured, and survival curves were generated. In the present study, we demonstrate the following points. (i) IFN-γR−/− mice are markedly more susceptible to C. neoformans infection than IFN-γR+/+ mice. (ii) In the absence of IFN-γ signaling, pulmonary CFU continue to increase over the course of infection, and the infection disseminates to the brain. (iii) In the absence of IFN-γ receptor, recruitment of inflammatory cells in response to pulmonary cryptococcal infection is not impaired. (iv) At week 5 postinfection, IFN-γR−/− mice have recruited greater numbers of leukocytes into their lungs, with neutrophils, eosinophils, and lymphocytes accounting for this cellular increase. (v) IFN-γ signaling is required for the development of a T1 over a T2 immune response in the lung following cryptococcal infection. These results indicate that in the absence of IFN- γ responsiveness, even though the recruitment of pulmonary inflammatory cells is not impaired and the secretion of IFN-γ is not affected, IFN-γR−/− mice do not have the ability to resolve the cryptococcal infection. In conclusion, our data suggest that proper functional IFN-γ signaling, possibly through a mechanism which inhibits the potentially disease-promoting T2 response, is required for mice to confine the cryptococcal infection.