Abstract
Protective immunity against infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis is imparted by T cells rather than antibodies, but B cells can play a role as antigen-presenting cells and in granuloma formation. We re-evaluated the role of B cells in the course of tuberculous infection in μ-chain knock-out (Ig-) mice. Surprisingly, the organs of M. tuberculosis-infected Ig- mice were found to have three- to eight-fold elevated counts of viable bacilli compared with normal littermates at 3-6 weeks post-infection. Splenic interferon-gamma responses to whole antigen were unimpaired, whilst proliferation to certain mycobacterial peptides was found to be diminished. However, bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination significantly reduced the infection in Ig- mice. The mechanisms by which B cells can influence primary tuberculous infection need further study.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 312-316 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Clinical and Experimental Immunology |
| Volume | 106 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Nov 1996 |
Keywords
- antibodies
- B cells
- mouse infection
- tuberculosis
- Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
- T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- Vaccination
- Immunoglobulin mu-Chains/genetics
- B-Lymphocytes/physiology
- Male
- Colony Count, Microbial
- Tuberculosis/etiology
- Liver/microbiology
- Mice, Knockout
- Animals
- BCG Vaccine/administration & dosage
- Spleen/metabolism
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis/isolation & purification
- Female
- Lung/microbiology
- Mice
- Genes, Immunoglobulin/genetics
- Cytokines/metabolism
- Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes/genetics
