Role of inflammatory mediators in resistance and susceptibility to pneumococcal infection.
Variations in the host response during pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae in susceptible (CBA/Ca) and resistant (BALB/c) inbred mouse strains were investigated. Significant differences were detected in survival time, core body temperature, lung-associated and systemic bacterial loads, mast cell numbers, magnitude and location of cytokine production, lung disruption, and ability of isolated lung cells to release the cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha in vitro. Overall, the results indicate that the reduced capacity of CBA/Ca mice to induce rapid TNF activity within the airways following infection with S. pneumoniae may be a factor in their elevated susceptibility to pneumococcal pneumonia.
Kerr
Alison R
AR
Division of Infection and Immunity, IBLS, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom.
Irvine
June J
JJ
Search
Jennifer J
JJ
Gingles
Neill A
NA
Kadioglu
Aras
A
Andrew
Peter W
PW
McPheat
William L
WL
Booth
Charles G
CG
Mitchell
Tim J
TJ
D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D007035:Hypothermia; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism*; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000166:cytology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D009668:Nose Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D011018:Pneumonia, Pneumococcal / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality; D013045:Species Specificity; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
D016207:Cytokines; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha