Abstract
The chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection in cystic fibrosis (CF) is characterized by a pronounced antibody response and microcolonies surrounded by numerous polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN). Poor prognosis is correlated with a high antibody response to P. aeruginosa antigens. An animal model of this infection was established in two strains of mice: C3H/HeN and BALB/c, generally known as Th1 and Th2 responders, respectively, which were challenged with alginate-embedded P. aeruginosa. Mortality was significantly lower in C3H/HeN compared to BALB/c mice (p <0.025). P. aeruginosa was cleared more efficiently in C3H/HeN mice and significantly more C3H/HeN mice showed normal lung histopathology (p <0.02), and we found significantly fewer microabscesses in C3H/HeN mice than in BALB/c mice (p <0.005). In supernatants from P. aeruginosa antigen and concanavalin A-stimulated spleen cells from the two strains of mice, the interferon-(IFN-) gamma levels were higher, whereas IL-4 levels were lower in C3H/HeN mice than in BALB/c mice. The implications of these findings for CF patients with chronic P. aeruginosa lung infection are discussed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | A P M I S. Acta Pathologica, Microbiologica et Immunologica Scandinavica |
| Volume | 105 |
| Issue number | 11 |
| Pages (from-to) | 838-42 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| ISSN | 0903-4641 |
| Publication status | Published - 1997 |
Keywords
- Animals
- Chronic Disease
- Female
- Interferon-gamma
- Interleukin-4
- Lymphocyte Activation
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Mice, Inbred C3H
- Pneumonia, Bacterial
- Pseudomonas Infections
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa
- Spleen
- Th1 Cells
- Th2 Cells