1.Cytokine response in Balb/c mice infected with Francisella tularensis LVS and the Pohang isolate.
Eun Ju KIM ; Sang Hee PARK ; Young Sill CHOI ; Soo Kyoung SHIM ; Mi Yeoun PARK ; Man Suck PARK ; Kyu Jam HWANG
Journal of Veterinary Science 2008;9(3):309-315
We investigated the immune response induced by the Francisella (F.) tularensis live vaccine strain (LVS) and the Pohang isolate. After the Balb/c mice were infected intradermally (i.d) with 2 x 10(4) cfu of F. tularensis LVS and Pohang, respectively, their blood and organs were collected at different times; 0, 3, 6, 24, 72, 96, 120 and 168 h after infection. Using these samples, RT-PCR and ELISA analysis were carried out for the comparative study of the cytokines, including TNF-alpha, INF-gamma, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10 and IL-12. In the Pohang-infected mice at 120 h, the liver showed a 53 times higher level of TNF-alpha and a 42 times higher level of IFN-gamma than the respective levels at the early time points after infection. The levels of TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma induced by LVS were 5 times lower than those induced by the Pohang isolate. Also, the organs from the Pohang-infected mice showed higher levels of TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, IL-10 and IL-12 than the levels in the LVS-infected mice. The blood from the Pohang-infected mice at 120 h revealed about a 40 times increased level of IFN-gamma, and IL-10 was also increased by 4 times at 96 h compared to an early infection time point, while IL-4 was not induced during the whole infection period. These results suggest that F. tularensis may induce a Th1-mediated immune response to in vivo infection and the Pohang isolate has a higher capacity than the LVS to induce an acute immune response in Blab/c mice.
Animals
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*Bacterial Vaccines
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Cytokines/*biosynthesis
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Francisella tularensis/immunology/isolation & purification/*pathogenicity
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Humans
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Interferon-gamma/genetics/metabolism
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Interleukins/genetics/metabolism
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Korea
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Liver/microbiology/pathology
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Mice
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Mice, Inbred BALB C
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Polymerase Chain Reaction
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Tularemia/*diagnosis/*immunology
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Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/genetics/metabolism