Experimental histoplasmosis in the beige mouse.
Mice carrying the beige mutation (bg/bg) on a C57Bl/6 background were challenged with Histoplasma capsulatum. bg/bg mice had higher mortality and higher lung tissue fungal counts in their lungs than either bg/+ or C57Bl/6 mice challenged with equal inocula. Immunologic studies showed that bg/bg mice developed normal delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reactions to histoplasmin, but had deficient NK cell cytotoxic activity against YAC-1 target cells. Studies of macrophage killing of H. capsulatum in vitro showed that T lymphocytes of either bg/+ or bg/bg mice were able to activate fungal killing by bg/+ but not by bg/bg macrophages. These studies, while not excluding a role for the NK cell, suggest that macrophage dysfunction may be critical in the greater susceptibility of the bg/bg mouse and, by extension, that macrophage function is of major importance in host defense against H. capsulatum.
Patiño
M M
MM
Williams
D
D
Ahrens
J
J
Graybill
J R
JR
D000818:Animals; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006658:Histoplasma / Q000276:immunology; D006659:Histoplasmin / Q000276:immunology; D006660:Histoplasmosis / Q000276:immunology*; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000276:immunology; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000502:physiology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains / Q000276:immunology*
D008222:Lymphokines; D006659:Histoplasmin