title: Cytokine and Chemokine Expression in Kidneys during Chronic Leptospirosis in Reservoir and Susceptible Animal Models.
abstract: Leptospirosis is caused by pathogenic spirochetes of the genus Leptospira. Humans can be infected after exposure to contaminated urine of reservoir animals, usually rodents, regarded as typical asymptomatic carriers of leptospires. In contrast, accidental hosts may present an acute form of leptospirosis with a range of clinical symptoms including the development of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI). Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is considered as a possible AKI-residual sequela but little is known about the renal pathophysiology consequent to leptospirosis infection. Herein, we studied the renal morphological alterations in relation with the regulation of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, comparing two experimental models of chronic leptospirosis, the golden Syrian hamster that survived the infection, becoming carrier of virulent leptospires, and the OF1 mouse, a usual reservoir of the bacteria. Animals were monitored until 28 days after injection with a virulent L. borgpetersenii serogroup Ballum to assess chronic infection. Hamsters developed morphological alterations in the kidneys with tubulointerstitial nephritis and fibrosis. Grading of lesions revealed higher scores in hamsters compared to the slight alterations observed in the mouse kidneys, irrespective of the bacterial load. Interestingly, pro-fibrotic TGF-β was downregulated in mouse kidneys. Moreover, cytokines IL-1β and IL-10, and chemokines MIP-1α/CCL3 and IP-10/CXCL-10 were significantly upregulated in hamster kidneys compared to mice. These results suggest a possible maintenance of inflammatory processes in the hamster kidneys with the infiltration of inflammatory cells in response to bacterial carriage, resulting in alterations of renal tissues. In contrast, lower expression levels in mouse kidneys indicated a better regulation of the inflammatory response and possible resolution processes likely related to resistance mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur International Network, Institut Pasteur de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Leptospirosis Research and Expertise Unit, Noumea, New Caledonia.
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur International Network, Institut Pasteur de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Leptospirosis Research and Expertise Unit, Noumea, New Caledonia.
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Roche
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur International Network, Institut Pasteur de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Leptospirosis Research and Expertise Unit, Noumea, New Caledonia.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Geroult
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur International Network, Institut Pasteur de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Leptospirosis Research and Expertise Unit, Noumea, New Caledonia.
authors.forename: Marie-Estelle
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Soupé-Gilbert
authors.affiliation: Anatomic Pathology Laboratory, Gaston-Bourret Territorial Hospital Center, Noumea, New Caledonia.
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Monchy
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherche et Expertise en Histotechnologie et Pathologie, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.|Departement de Pathologie, Institut Curie, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huerre
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur International Network, Institut Pasteur de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Leptospirosis Research and Expertise Unit, Noumea, New Caledonia.
authors.forename: Cyrille
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Goarant
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D058491:Bacterial Load; D018925:Chemokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D007919:Leptospira / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D007922:Leptospirosis / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D008647:Mesocricetus; D051379:Mice; D051436:Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D018925:Chemokines; D016207:Cytokines