title: Changes in spleen and thymus cell phenotypes in mice vaccinated with the Coxiella burnetii phase I whole-cell vaccine or the chloroform-methanol residue subunit vaccine.
abstract: Lymphoid cell phenotypes within the spleen and thymus were analyzed to determine whether numerical or proportional changes in cell populations could account for the immunosuppression seen after vaccination of mice with inactivated phase I Coxiella burnetii whole-cell vaccine (WCI). Within 21 days of vaccination with WCI, there was a reduction in the percentage of splenic T cells and B cells while the numbers of thymic T cells and B cells increased. A substantial percentage of spleen cells did not bear typical T cell or B cell surface markers. In contrast, except for an early rise (by day 3) in the numbers of T and B cells, injecting the chloroform-methanol residue subunit-vaccine (CMR) caused no significant phenotypic changes of lymphoid cells in the spleen or thymus. The percentage of thymus cells bearing T cell phenotypes was similar in mice vaccinated with WCI or CMR. However, the total number of T cells in the thymus dramatically decreased in mice vaccinated with WCI. There was no correlation between the lymphocyte hyporesponsiveness to mitogens and WCI in vitro and the increased numbers of CD8-positive splenocytes. These results suggest that WCI vaccination caused dramatic changes in splenocyte and thymocyte lymphocyte populations and provide evidence for the more benign nature of the CMR vaccine.
authors.affiliation: Pathogenesis and Immunology Branch, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702-5011, USA.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Waag
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D015415:Biomarkers; D002452:Cell Count; D002725:Chloroform / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016997:Coxiella burnetii / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D000432:Methanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010641:Phenotype; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D015415:Biomarkers; D002725:Chloroform; D000432:Methanol