Experimental infection with Mycobacterium kansasii in athymic nude mice.
Subcutaneous infection with Mycobacterium kansasii did not cause mortality in athymic nu/nu and control nu/+ mice. It had a stimulatory activity comparable to obligatory mycobacterial pathogens: thymus-dependent lymphatic tissues areas were populated during the infection by lymphocytes also in nu/nu mice in which a low degree of migration inhibition factor production could be seen. In both models of chief site of mycobacterial trapping and phagocytosis was the hyperplastic interdigitating cell mesh in the thymus-dependent areas of lymph nodes. A detailed morphological description of the organ changes is given.
D000818:Animals; D002464:Cell Migration Inhibition; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000473:pathology*; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure