Increase of gammadelta T lymphocytes in murine lungs occurs during recovery from pulmonary infection by Nocardia asteroides.
Previous studies have demonstrated that gammadelta T lymphocytes are important for host resistance to pulmonary infection of the murine lung by log-phase cells of Nocardia asteroides. To study the role of gammadelta T cells in nocardial interactions in the murine lung, C57BL/6J wild type and C57BL/6J-Tcrd (gammadelta T-cell knockout mice) were infected intranasally with log-phase cells of N. asteroides GUH-2. At 3, 5, and 7 days after infection, the gammadelta T cells were quantified by multiparameter flow cytometry. At the same time, Gram and hematoxylin-eosin stains of paraffin sections were performed to monitor the host responses. The data showed that gammadelta T lymphocytes increased significantly within the lungs after intranasal infection, and the peak of this cellular increase occurred at 5 days. Furthermore, at this time, greater than 50% of the CD3 T-cell receptor (TCR)-positive (CD3+) cells were gammadelta TCR positive. Histological examination clearly showed divergent inflammatory responses in the lungs of wild-type mice compared to gammadelta T-cell knockout mice. The C57BL/6J-Tcrd mice were less capable of clearing the organism, and the polymorphonuclear leukocyte response lasted longer than in wild-type C57BL/6J mice. These results showed that gammadelta T cells were actively involved in modulating the innate host responses to murine pulmonary infection by N. asteroides.
Tam
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Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California School of Medicine, Davis, California 95616, USA.
King
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DP
Beaman
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D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009617:Nocardia Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D009616:Nocardia asteroides / Q000276:immunology*; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors
D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta