title: Cytokine response in Balb/c mice infected with Francisella tularensis LVS and the Pohang isolate.
abstract: We investigated the immune response induced by the Francisella (F.) tularensis live vaccine strain (LVS) and the Pohang isolate. After the Balb/c mice were infected intradermally (i.d) with 2 x 10(4) cfu of F. tularensis LVS and Pohang, respectively, their blood and organs were collected at different times; 0, 3, 6, 24, 72, 96, 120 and 168 h after infection. Using these samples, RT-PCR and ELISA analysis were carried out for the comparative study of the cytokines, including TNF-alpha, INF-gamma, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10 and IL-12. In the Pohang-infected mice at 120 h, the liver showed a 53 times higher level of TNF-alpha and a 42 times higher level of IFN-gamma than the respective levels at the early time points after infection. The levels of TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma induced by LVS were 5 times lower than those induced by the Pohang isolate. Also, the organs from the Pohang-infected mice showed higher levels of TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, IL-10 and IL-12 than the levels in the LVS-infected mice. The blood from the Pohang-infected mice at 120 h revealed about a 40 times increased level of IFN-gamma, and IL-10 was also increased by 4 times at 96 h compared to an early infection time point, while IL-4 was not induced during the whole infection period. These results suggest that F. tularensis may induce a Th1-mediated immune response to in vivo infection and the Pohang isolate has a higher capacity than the LVS to induce an acute immune response in Blab/c mice.
authors: Divison of Zoonoses, Center for Immunology and Pathology, Korea National Institute of Health, Seoul 122-701, Korea.
authors: Eun-Ju
authors: EJ
authors: Kim
authors: Sang-Hee
authors: SH
authors: Park
authors: Young-Sill
authors: YS
authors: Choi
authors: Soo-Kyoung
authors: SK
authors: Shim
authors: Mi-Yeoun
authors: MY
authors: Park
authors: Man Suck
authors: MS
authors: Park
authors: Kyu-Jam
authors: KJ
authors: Hwang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005604:Francisella tularensis / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007378:Interleukins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007723:Korea; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014406:Tularemia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D016207:Cytokines; D007378:Interleukins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma