title: Monocyte and lymphocyte apoptosis resistance in acute and chronic brucellosis and its possible implications in clinical management.
abstract: This study evaluated the level of susceptibility of monocytes and lymphocytes to spontaneously induced and CH11-induced apoptosis in 16 patients with Brucella infection. The expression of some immunological and apoptotic markers was evaluated. Before therapy, monocytes showed a high level of resistance to spontaneously induced or CH11-induced apoptosis in all patients. In patients with acute infection, this resistance persisted for 10-20 days after treatment was initiated, then decreased; in chronically infected patients, it persisted after 45 days of treatment. Lymphocytes were also more resistant to CH11-induced apoptosis. The level of activated CD8(+) T lymphocytes was high in patients with acute infection. The data indicate that the CD95-mediated apoptotic pathway is not involved in CH11 resistance. Lymphocytes are not infected by Brucella, so their resistance to apoptosis may be due to a soluble factor released by infected monocytes. The evaluation of levels of susceptibility to CH11-induced apoptosis in monocytes may be used to test the effectiveness of the therapy.
authors.affiliation: Centro di Riferimento per AIDS e Sindromi Correlate, Palermo 90127, Italy. mtolomeo@hotmail.com
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tolomeo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Di Carlo
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Abbadessa
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Titone
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miceli
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barbusca
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cannizzo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mancuso
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arista
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Scarlata
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis; D002002:Brucella; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D009000:Monocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D019014:fas Receptor