BCG-malaria co-Infection has paradoxical effects on C57BL/6 and A/J mouse strains

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) infection of the spleen is a potent modifier of splenic function. Prior to malaria infection, we infected two mouse strains of differing susceptibility to Plasmodium chabaudi AS (C57BL/6 and A/J) with this mycobacterium. We then evaluated aspects of spleen cell composi...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Parasite immunology 2008, Vol.30 (1), p.1-12
Main Authors: LEISEWITZ, A.L, ROCKETT, K, KWIATKOWSKI, D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
B-Lymphocyte Subsets - immunology
BCG
BCG Vaccine - immunology
CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology
Female
Interferon-gamma - immunology
Interferon-gamma - metabolism
Macrophages - immunology
malaria
Malaria - immunology
Malaria - parasitology
Mice
Mice, Inbred A
Mice, Inbred C57BL
mouse
Mycobacterium
Mycobacterium bovis - immunology
Parasitemia - immunology
Plasmodium chabaudi
Plasmodium chabaudi - immunology
Spleen - cytology
Spleen - immunology
Spleen - pathology
Splenomegaly
T-Lymphocyte Subsets - immunology
TH1
TH2
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) infection of the spleen is a potent modifier of splenic function. Prior to malaria infection, we infected two mouse strains of differing susceptibility to Plasmodium chabaudi AS (C57BL/6 and A/J) with this mycobacterium. We then evaluated aspects of spleen cell composition, architecture and cytokine expression, and correlated these with the outcome. BCG preinfection resulted in protection of the A/J mice but paradoxically resulted in mortality of the C57BL/6 mice. The latter developed higher parasitaemias that peaked earlier than the A/J mice rendered resistant by BCG. BCG infection induced remarkable changes to splenic histology examined by H&E staining, but there were no consistent differences between mouse strains. C57BL/6 mice had higher absolute numbers of all immune cell phenotypes than did A/J mice, and higher macrophage and dendritic cell proportions. BCG-induced resistance in A/J mice was associated with an increased CD4⁺ expression of IFN-γ whilst induced death in C57BL/6 mice was associated with excessive IFN-γ expression. A moderate TH1 response in the A/J model may have been responsible for the improved survival, and an excessive TH1 response in the C57BL/6 model may have contributed to their death.
ISSN:0141-9838
1365-3024
DOI:10.1111/j.1365-3024.2007.00983.x