title: Rickettsial infection in murine models activates an early anti-rickettsial effect mediated by NK cells and associated with production of gamma interferon.
abstract: Natural killer (NK) cell activity was significantly increased on days 2-6 of infection in the Rickettsia conorii-infected C3H/HeN mice and on day 2 in the Rickettsia typhi-infected C57BL/6 mice. Depletion of NK cell activity utilizing anti-NK1.1 monoclonal antibody enhanced the susceptibility of normally resistant C57BL/6 mice to infection with R. typhi, and depletion of NK cell activity with antibody to asialo GM1 enhanced the susceptibility of C3H/HeN mice to infection with R. conorii. Serum gamma interferon was increased in R. conorii-infected C3H/HeN mice compared with NK cell-depleted, infected mice during the early course of infection. Additionally, the NK cell activating cytokine IL-12 was elevated in the sera of infected mice during the time period representing enhanced NK cell activity compared with uninfected mice. Thus, it appears that NK cells contribute to the early anti-rickettsial immune response, likely via a mechanism involving gamma interferon.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77555-0609, USA.
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Billings
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Olano
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Walker
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001907:Boutonneuse Fever / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D002642:Chick Embryo; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000097:blood; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D012282:Rickettsia Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D020114:Rickettsia conorii / Q000276:immunology*; D012286:Rickettsia typhi / Q000276:immunology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D014437:Typhus, Endemic Flea-Borne / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D014709:Vero Cells
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D018664:Interleukin-12; D007371:Interferon-gamma