The infectivity of sarcoid clinical material and its bacterial content inoculated in CBA mice.
BACKGROUND
Sarcoidosis is a multisystemic disorder that is currently viewed as the consequence of chronic immunological response associating genetic susceptibility and specific environmental or transmissible agents. Relevant evidence, although conflicting, justifies a concern about the involvement of specific pathogens to disease causation. In this study we assessed the infectivity of sarcoid clinical material, and of the pathogens found in it, to normal CBA mice used as a model of an immuno-competent host.


METHODS
One hundred and eleven mice were inoculated into their footpads with fresh, filtered, and autoclaved, sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage homogenates, collected from patients with sarcoidosis, and with the mycobacterial and propionibacterial pathogens isolated from this material.


RESULTS
The total number of positive reactors of the animals that received raw clinical material and the pathogens it contained was statistically significant compared to those of the control groups. However, the number of affected mice per group was in most cases less than 50% and inflammation was almost always mild and local.


CONCLUSIONS
Based on the evidence provided by inoculation of normal CBA mice, some of the material under study, although of mild potency, can be infectious to an immuno-competent host.
Ikonomopoulos
John
J
Department of Animal Science, Laboratory of Anatomy-Physiology of Farm Animals, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece. ikonomop@aua.gr
Gazouli
Maria
M
Dontas
Ismini
I
Sechi
Leonardo
L
Lukas
John C
JC
Balaskas
Christos
C
Gorgoulis
Vassilis
V
Kittas
Christos
C
D000818:Animals; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000382:microbiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious; D005528:Foot / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D009162:Mycobacterium avium / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011424:Propionibacterium / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D011425:Propionibacterium acnes / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D017565:Sarcoidosis, Pulmonary / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology*
D004269:DNA, Bacterial