INDUCTION OF NON-SPECIFIC IMMUNOSUPPRESSION IN MICE BY MYCOBACTERIAL INFECTIONS AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO MACROPHAGE ACTIVATION

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 1989

Authors

APPELBERG, R (Author) ICBAS; SOARES, R (Author) Other; FERREIRA, P (Author) Other; SILVA, MT (Author) ICBAS

Journal

Title: Scandinavian Journal of Immunology

Vol. 30

Pages: 165-174

ISSN: 0300-9475

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 20 Citations

Scopus - 16 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Medical and Health sciences > Basic medicine

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-001-SHD

DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3083.1989.tb01198.x

Abstract (EN): The development of non-specific immunosuppression during the infection of different strains of mice with three mycobacterial species was evaluated by studying the immune response to a heterologous antigen (sheep red blood cells) and comparing it with the induction of non-specific resistance to a Listeria monocytogenes challenge. It was shown that early (at 15 days) immunosuppression developed in Mycobacterium avium-susceptible mouse strains infected with a high inoculum dose [2.5 x 108 colony forming units (CFU)] of virulent M. avium but not in resistant mice infected with a similar inoculum nor in susceptible mice infected by a smaller inoculum dose (2.5 x 106 CFU). In the latter case it developed only during the second month of infection and was of smaller magnitude. An inoculum of M. avium of attenuated virulence did not induce immunosuppression. M. lepraemurium induced a late immunosuppression, which occurred when extensive bacterial proliferation had already taken place. The non-pathogenic M. bovis BCG induced immunosuppression in C57BL/6 mice. The results do not establish a correlation between the development of generalized immunosuppression and susceptibility to infection. It could be seen that the early immunosuppression was observed in those situations where there was extensive macrophage activation as shown by the development of non-specific resistance to a listeria challenge. The late immunosuppression was observed when bacterial proliferation was extensive.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 10