title: Role of NK cells in host defense against pulmonary type A Francisella tularensis infection.
abstract: Pneumonic tularemia is a potentially fatal disease caused by the Category A bioterrorism agent Francisella tularensis. Understanding the pulmonary immune response to this bacterium is necessary for developing effective vaccines and therapeutics. In this study, characterization of immune cell populations in the lungs of mice infected with the type A strain Schu S4 revealed a significant loss in natural killer (NK) cells over time. Since this decline in NK cells correlated with morbidity and mortality, we hypothesized these cells contribute to host defense against Schu S4 infection. Depletion of NK cells prior to Schu S4 challenge significantly reduced IFN-γ and granzyme B in the lung but had no effect on bacterial burden or disease progression. Conversely, increasing NK cell numbers with the anti-apoptotic cytokine IL-15 and soluble receptor IL-15Rα had no significant impact on Schu S4 growth in vivo. A modest decrease in median time to death, however, was observed in live vaccine strain (LVS)-vaccinated mice depleted of NK1.1+ cells and challenged with Schu S4. Therefore, NK cells do not appear to contribute to host defense against acute respiratory infection with type A F. tularensis in vivo, but they play a minor role in protection elicited by LVS vaccination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, W1157 BSTWR, 200 Lothrop St., Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.
authors.forename: Deanna M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.forename: Dawn M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: O'Dee
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Horzempa
authors.forename: Brian C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: Penelope A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Morel
authors.forename: Gerard J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Nau
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005604:Francisella tularensis / Q000276:immunology*; D053804:Granzymes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D019409:Interleukin-15 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000276:immunology; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D014406:Tularemia / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D019409:Interleukin-15; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D053804:Granzymes; C509214:Gzmb protein, mouse