Immune response of BALB/c mice infected with two strains of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis

• Published in: Microbial pathogenesis 2024-07, Vol.192, p.106671, Article 106671
• Main Authors: Tavares, Igor Farias, Sá, Maria da Conceição Aquino de, Raynal Rocha Filho, José Tadeu, Trindade, Soraya Castro, Fraga, Ricardo Evangelista, Meyer, Roberto
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: BALB/c mice; Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis; Immune response; interleukin-10; interleukin-13; interleukin-2; interleukin-21; interleukin-4; interleukin-6; pathogenesis
• ISSN: 0882-4010; 1096-1208; 1096-1208
• DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2024.106671

This work evaluated aspects of the immune response of BALB/c mice infected with Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis (T1 and C57). The fifteen BALB/c mice were euthanized after 70 days of infection and morphologically evaluated, also analyzing the innate and adaptive immune responses. The C57 strain induced more pronounced morphological changes than the T1 strain. There was an increase in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells identified during infection with the C57 strain. Cytokines of the inflammatory profile IL-1α and IL-6 and regulatory IL-13 and IL-10 presented significant differences. Cytokines IL-2, IL-4, INF-γ, IL-22, IL-21, and IL-27 did not differ significantly between groups. The obtained results contribute to a better understanding of the type of response and the immunological mechanisms involved during infection with different strains of C. pseudotuberculosis. •The C57 strain of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis increases the clonal expansion of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells.•Concerning IL-1α production levels, the T1 strain had higher production than animals infected with the C57 strain.•The increase in cytokines shows a pattern of variation between the T1 and C57 strains.