Murine model of Bartonella henselae infection in the immunocompetent host.
Bartonella henselae is an emerging pathogen causing cat scratch disease, bacillary angiomatosis, and peliosis hepatis. Progress in understanding the pathogenesis of and the immune response to these infections has been limited by the lack of an animal model. Following intraperitoneal infection of C57BL/6 mice with B. henselae, organs were cleared of cultivatable bacteria within 6 days. In contrast, B. henselae DNA could be detected in liver tissue for at least 3 months. Liver tissue showed granulomatous inflammation reaching its highest degree of intensity during the fourth week of infection and resolving within 12 weeks postinfection. This mouse model is applicable to the study of the pathogenesis of B. henselae and the immune response to this pathogen in the immunocompetent host.
Institute of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Benjamin Franklin, Free University of Berlin, 12203 Berlin, Germany. regnath@zedat.fu-berlin.de
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Regnath
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Mielke
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Arvand
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Hahn
D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D016917:Angiomatosis, Bacillary / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D018416:Bartonella henselae / Q000276:immunology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D007121:Immunocompetence; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
D004269:DNA, Bacterial