title: Cytokine gene expression in the lungs of BALB/c mice during primary and secondary intranasal infection with Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
abstract: Cytokine gene expression was determined in vivo in the lungs and spleens of Mycoplasma pneumoniae-infected BALB/c mice by means of qualitative and semiquantitative PCR-mediated mRNA amplification. During the acute phase of both primary and secondary infections, cytokines commonly associated with innate resistance, TNF alpha, IFN gamma, IL-1 beta and IL-6, were expressed. In contrast, early expression of the genes for IL-2 and IL-2 receptor was detected only during reinfection. Expression was greater in the lungs than in the spleen, attesting to the rapid accumulation of lymphocytes at the infected site. Interestingly, IL-2 mRNA expression declined rapidly and was no longer detectable after 24 h, whereas IL-10 mRNA levels rose sharply during the same period. During reinfection, mRNAs for TNF alpha and IL-6 were 10-fold and for IFN gamma about 50-fold higher than during primary challenge. The results suggest that the pathogenesis of M. pneumoniae diseases may be associated with elevated expression of proinflammatory cytokines.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Mikrobiologie und Hygiene, Universität Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pietsch
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ehlers
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jacobs
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009177:Mycoplasma pneumoniae; D011019:Pneumonia, Mycoplasma / Q000378:metabolism*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D013154:Spleen / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D012333:RNA, Messenger