Depletion of CD8+ T cells exacerbates CD4+ Th cell-associated inflammatory lesions during murine mycoplasma respiratory disease.
Mycoplasma infection is a leading cause of pneumonia worldwide and can lead to other respiratory complications. A component of mycoplasma respiratory diseases is immunopathologic, suggesting that lymphocyte activation is a key event in the progression of these chronic inflammatory diseases. The present study delineates the changes in T cell populations and their activation after mycoplasma infection and determines their association with the pathogenesis of murine Mycoplasma respiratory disease, due to Mycoplasma pulmonis infection. Increases in T cell population numbers in lungs and lower respiratory lymph nodes were associated with the development of mycoplasma respiratory disease. Although both pulmonary Th and CD8(+) T cells increased after mycoplasma infection, there was a preferential expansion of Th cells. Mycoplasma-specific Th2 responses were dominant in lower respiratory lymph nodes, while Th1 responses predominated in spleen. However, both mycoplasma-specific Th1 and Th2 cytokine (IL-4 and IFN-gamma) responses were present in the lungs, with Th1 cell activation as a major component of the pulmonary Th cell response. Although a smaller component of the T cell response, mycoplasma-specific CD8(+) T cells were also a significant component of pulmonary lymphoid responses. In vivo depletion of CD8(+) T cells resulted in dramatically more severe pulmonary disease, while depletion of CD4(+) T cells reduced its severity, but there was no change in mycoplasma numbers in lungs after cell depletion. Thus, mycoplasma-specific Th1 and CD8(+) T cell activation in the lung plays a critical regulatory role in development of immunopathologic reactions in Mycoplasma respiratory disease.
Jones
Harlan P
HP
Department of Molecular Biology and Immunology, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA.
Tabor
Leslie
L
Sun
Xiangle
X
Woolard
Matthew D
MD
Simecka
Jerry W
JW
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008212:Lymphocyte Depletion; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D009174:Mycoplasma / Q000276:immunology; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma