Eosinophil and B cell dynamics in the milky spots from Schistosoma mansoni-infected mice - Comparison with spleen and bone marrow, and extramedullary eosinopoiesis.

Abstract

The milky spots are structures found in the omentum of humans and other vertebrates, representing a fraction of the lymphomyeloid tissue associated with the celom. They majorly consist of B lymphocytes, T lymphocytes, and macrophages. Also found in smaller quantities are mesothelial, stromal, dendritic, and rare mast cells. In an experimental model of Schistosoma mansoni infection, there is significant activation of the omentum and milky spots, which exhibit numerous eosinophils. Despite being described for many years, the complete profile of cells found in milky spots and their functions remains largely unexplored. Here, we evaluate the leukocyte populations of the milky spots in homeostasis and a murine model of Schistosoma mansoni infection. The histopathological characterizations, phenotypic profile analysis, and characterization of the eosinophilic potential of progenitors and precursors comparing the milky spots with the spleen and bone marrow showed significant activation of milky spots in infected mice, with changes in the profile over the analyzed times, showing signs of migration and activation of eosinophils, with local eosinopoiesis and maintenance of the eosinophilic population. In naive mice, B1a and B1b cells comprise only a small fraction of B lymphocytes. However, B1b cells expand significantly during infection, peaking at 60 DPI before stabilizing by 90 DPI. B1a cells also increase initially but decrease over time. The behavior of milky spots differs from other primary and secondary lymphoid organs, acting as a central lymphoid organ in cavity immunity.