title: A monoclonal antibody to gamma interferon blocks augmentation of natural killer cell activity induced during systemic cryptococcosis.
abstract: These studies demonstrate that the cytotoxic activity of splenic natural killer (NK) cells is augmented in both nu/nu and nu/+ mice during systemic cryptococcosis. Both the kinetics and the regulation of NK cell activity differed in Cryptococcus neoformans-infected nu/nu and nu/+ mice. Greater augmentation was observed following challenge with 10(5) cells than with smaller inocula, and augmented NK cell activity was not always associated with enhanced control of systemic cryptococcosis. Infection with a nonencapsulated strain of C. neoformans induced an early but transient increase in splenic NK cell activity in nu/nu and nu/+ mice. Injection of capsular polysaccharide induced a transient augmentation of splenic NK cell activity in nu/+ mice but caused a persistent increase in splenic NK cell activity in nu/nu mice. In vivo treatment with monoclonal antibody to gamma interferon abrogated the augmentation of splenic NK cell activity induced during cryptococcal infections in both nu/nu and nu/+ mice and enhanced the susceptibility of nu/+ mice to C. neoformans to a greater extent than it did that of nu/nu mice. These results suggest that gamma interferon is an important mediator of resistance to C. neoformans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison 53706.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Salkowski
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Balish
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology*; D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000276:immunology*; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000276:immunology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000494:pharmacology; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D007371:Interferon-gamma