CD40 is required for the optimal induction of protective immunity to Mycobacterium avium.
C57Bl/6 mice and mice deficient in the CD40 molecule were infected with three strains of Mycobacterium avium. Two of the M. avium strains proliferated more extensively in CD40-deficient (CD40-/-) mice than in control mice. The increased susceptibility to infection of CD40-/- mice was associated with the generation of poorer interleukin-12 (IL-12) p40 and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) responses as compared to the controls, suggesting a role for CD40 in the development of protective immunity. In contrast, direct triggering of CD40 on infected macrophages failed to induce any anti-mycobacterial activity in infected macrophages.
Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology of Infection, Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 823, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal.
Manuela
M
Flórido
Ana Sofia
AS
Gonçalves
M Salomé
MS
Gomes
Rui
R
Appelberg
D000818:Animals; D019013:CD40 Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D023201:CD40 Ligand / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D007109:Immunity / Q000276:immunology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000276:immunology; D053762:Interleukin-12 Subunit p40; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009162:Mycobacterium avium; D021122:Protein Subunits / Q000276:immunology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*
D019013:CD40 Antigens; D053762:Interleukin-12 Subunit p40; D021122:Protein Subunits; D023201:CD40 Ligand; D018664:Interleukin-12; D007371:Interferon-gamma