title: Effects of pregnancy-associated Listeria monocytogenes infection: necrotizing hepatitis due to impaired maternal immune response and significantly increased abortion rate.
abstract: The impact of L. monocytogenes infection on maternal immune responses as well as on the outcome of pregnancy was studied in a murine model of pregnancy-associated listeriosis. Mice infected i.v. with L. monocytogenes at day 15 of pregnancy showed a significantly impaired bacterial elimination, which resulted in a severe necrotizing hemorrhagic hepatitis. The aggravated course of the infection could be attributed to a suppressed transcription and production of anti-listerial, pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, namely interferon-gamma, tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-12p40, inducible nitric oxide synthase, murine monokine induced by interferon-gamma, and interferon-gamma-inducible protein-10. In addition, listeriosis significantly increased the abortion rate. Infection of the placenta and fetuses was characterized by placental and fetal necrosis with unrestricted bacterial multiplication. A weak transcription of anti-listerial cytokines in the placenta in the absence of a cellular immune response could not prevent the fatal outcome of pregnancy-associated listeriosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Medical Faculty, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia.
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abram
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schlüter
authors.forename: Darinka
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vuckovic
authors.forename: Branka
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Waber
authors.forename: Miljenko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Doric
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deckert
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018925:Chemokines / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D020964:Embryo Loss / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006520:Hepatitis, Animal / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology*; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D008088:Listeriosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009336:Necrosis; D010920:Placenta / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D018925:Chemokines; D012333:RNA, Messenger