title: Expansion of intracellular IFN-γ positive lymphocytes during Mycoplasma agalactiae infection in sheep.
abstract: A method to assess the expansion of antigen-specific intracellular IFN-γ positive T cell subsets during the infection will be helpful for a better understanding of mycoplasmal infections physiopathology in the sheep. We analysed the percentage of antigen-specific lymphocytes positive for intracellular IFN-γ during the infection of sheep with Mycoplasma agalactiae by culturing peripheral blood mononuclear cells of infected or uninfected animals with irradiated M. agalactiae. The expansion of antigen-specific IFN-γ positive lymphocytes in infected sheep was initially sustained by CD4(+) T cells at day 15 after infection, when antigen specific IgG start to be detectable, followed by CD8/IFN-γ double positive cells. γδ T-cells were not expanded at any time point analysed. IFNγ(+) T cells disappear 60 days after infection, suggesting that antigen specific IFNγ(+) T cells, mainly detected in the early phase of the disease, could be useful to understand the role of cell-mediated immunity during M. agalactiae infection.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biopatologia e Biotecnologie Mediche e Forensi, Università di Palermo, Corso Tukory 211, 90131 Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: La Manna
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agnone
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Villari
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Puleio
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vitale
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nicholas
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sireci
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dieli
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Loria
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D045644:Mycoplasma agalactiae; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007371:Interferon-gamma