engleski

Immune control of murine Campylobacter jejuni infection

The high, worldwide incidence of Campylobacter jejuni - associated diarrheal disease has recently prompted the research on defence mechanisms of the host involved. However, lack of appropriate in vivo experimental model is one of the reasons why immunological host response to campylobacteriosis is still unclear. The effect of treatment with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) which depleted NK, CD4 or CD8 T-cells, on infection with C. jejuni was examined in a previously established murine model using C57BL/6 mice. The sterile clearance of bacteria from the spleens of the immunocompetent animals was achieved ten days and from the livers two weeks after infection. In vivo treatment with anti-CD4, anti-CD8 or anti-NK mAbs showed that mice remained capable of resolving primary C. jejuni infection, but the duration was prolonged and bacterial titres were significantly higher in livers, especially in the case of NK cells depletion. In vivo depletion of NK or CD4 T-cells in immune wild-type C57BL/6 mice had a limited effect on resistance to secondary infection. However, anti-CD8 treatment did affect their resistance to re-infection. Bacteria were not cleared from the liver during the whole experimental period (28 days). The abrogation of resistance to secondary infection in CD8-depleted mice suggests that these cells are necessary fot the development of protective immunity to C. jejuni. Taken together, these data demonstrate that cellular immunity may play a role in host defence against C. jejuni what has to be further elucidated.

imune control; Campylobacter jejuni

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