title: Mycobacterium-Host Cell Relationships in Granulomatous Lesions in a Mouse Model of Latent Tuberculous Infection.
abstract: Tuberculosis (TB) is a dangerous infectious disease characterized by a tight interplay between mycobacteria and host cells in granulomatous lesions (granulomas) during the latent, asymptomatic stage of infection. Mycobacterium-host cell relationships were analyzed in granulomas obtained from various organs of BALB/c mice with chronic TB infection caused by in vivo exposure to the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine. Acid-fast BCG-mycobacteria were found to be morphologically and functionally heterogeneous (in size, shape, and replication rates in colonies) in granuloma macrophages, dendritic cells, and multinucleate Langhans giant cells. Cord formation by BCG-mycobacteria in granuloma cells has been observed. Granuloma macrophages retained their ability to ingest damaged lymphocytes and thrombocytes in the phagosomes; however, their ability to destroy BCG-mycobacteria contained in these cells was compromised. No colocalization of BCG-mycobacteria and the LysoTracker dye was observed in the mouse cells. Various relationships between granuloma cells and BCG-mycobacteria were observed in different mice belonging to the same line. Several mice totally eliminated mycobacterial infection. Granulomas in the other mice had mycobacteria actively replicating in cells of different types and forming cords, which is an indicator of mycobacterial virulence and, probably, a marker of the activation of tuberculous infection in animals.
authors.affiliation: The Institute of Biochemistry, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, 2 Timakova Street, Novosibirsk 630117, Russia.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-2503-9596
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ufimtseva
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015744:Giant Cells, Langhans / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D015769:Granuloma, Respiratory Tract / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D055985:Latent Tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity
chemical_list: D001500:BCG Vaccine