Comparison of cytokine immune responses to Brucella abortus and Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O:9 infections in BALB/c mice

Infect Immun. 2013 Dec;81(12):4392-8. doi: 10.1128/IAI.00856-13. Epub 2013 Sep 16.

Abstract

Brucella abortus and Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O:9 serologically cross-react in the immune response with the host; therefore, our aim was to compare the immune responses to these two pathogens. We selected typical B. abortus and Y. enterocolitica O:9 strains to study the cytokine immune response and the histopathological changes in livers and spleens of BALB/c mice. The data showed the cytokine responses to the two strains of pathogens were different, where the average levels of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), gamma interferon (IFN-γ), interleukin-12 (IL-12), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were higher with B. abortus infections than with Y. enterocolitica O:9 infections, especially for IFN-γ, while the IL-10 level was lower and the levels of IL-1β, IL-4, IL-5, and IL-6 were similar. The histopathological effects in the livers and spleens of the BALB/c mice with B. abortus and Y. enterocolitica O:9 infections were similar; however, the pathological changes in the liver were greater with B. abortus infections, while damage in the spleen was greater with Y. enterocolitica O:9 infections. These observations show that different cytokine responses and histopathological changes occur with B. abortus and Y. enterocolitica O:9 infections.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Brucella abortus / immunology*
  • Brucellosis / immunology*
  • Cytokines / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Interferon-gamma / metabolism
  • Interleukin-10 / metabolism
  • Interleukin-12 / metabolism
  • Interleukin-1beta / metabolism
  • Interleukin-4 / metabolism
  • Interleukin-5 / metabolism
  • Interleukin-6 / metabolism
  • Liver / immunology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Spleen / immunology
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / metabolism
  • Yersinia Infections / immunology*
  • Yersinia enterocolitica / immunology*

Substances

  • Cytokines
  • Interleukin-1beta
  • Interleukin-5
  • Interleukin-6
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Interleukin-10
  • Interleukin-12
  • Interleukin-4
  • Interferon-gamma
  • Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor