title: In vivo modulation of the murine immune response to Francisella tularensis LVS by administration of anticytokine antibodies.
abstract: The role(s) of gamma interferon (IFN-gamma), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), and interleukin-4 (IL-4) in establishment and maintenance of protective immunity to Francisella tularensis LVS in mice (C3H/HeN) was examined by selective removal of these cytokines in vivo with neutralizing antibodies. The 50% lethal dose (LD50) for mice infected intradermally with F. tularensis alone was 136,000 CFU; treatment of mice with anti-IFN-gamma or anti-TNF-alpha at the time of infection significantly reduced (P much less than 0.05) the LD50 to 2 and 5 CFU, respectively. Abrogation of protective immunity, however, was effective only when anti-IFN-gamma or anti-TNF-alpha was administered prior to day 3 postinfection. In contrast, the LD50 for mice treated with anti-IL-4 was repeatedly higher (555,000 CFU) than for controls; this difference, however, was not significant (P greater than 0.05). Thus, IL-4 may be detrimental, while IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha were clearly crucial to the establishment of protective immunity to F. tularensis during a primary infection. The importance of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha during a secondary immune response to F. tularensis was also investigated. Spleen cells from immune mice passively transfer protective immunity to recipient mice in the absence of confounding antibody-mediated immunity. This passive transfer of immunity, however, was abrogated by treatment of recipient mice with anti-IFN-gamma or anti-TNF-alpha at the time of challenge infection. That anticytokines effectively abrogate protective immunity very early in the course of infection with F. tularensis suggests that T-cell-dependent activation of macrophages for microbicidal activity is unlikely. These T-cell-independent events early in the course of infection may suppress bacterial replication until a T-cell-dependent response ultimately clears the bacteria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular Immunology, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Rockville, Maryland 20850.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Leiby
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Fortier
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Crawford
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Schreiber
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Nacy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology*; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000276:immunology; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D014406:Tularemia / Q000276:immunology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D016207:Cytokines; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma