CCR5-deficient mice control Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection despite increased pulmonary lymphocytic infiltration

HM Scott Algood, JAL Flynn - The Journal of Immunology, 2004 - journals.aai.org
HM Scott Algood, JAL Flynn
The Journal of Immunology, 2004journals.aai.org
The control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection is dependent on the development of an
adaptive immune response, which is mediated by granulomas. The granuloma is a dynamic
structure that forms in the lung and consists primarily of macrophages and lymphocytes. For
this structure to be effective in containment of the bacillus, it must develop in an organized
and timely manner. The formation of the granuloma is dependent on recruitment of activated
cells through adhesion molecules and chemokines. M. tuberculosis infection causes an …
Abstract
The control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection is dependent on the development of an adaptive immune response, which is mediated by granulomas. The granuloma is a dynamic structure that forms in the lung and consists primarily of macrophages and lymphocytes. For this structure to be effective in containment of the bacillus, it must develop in an organized and timely manner. The formation of the granuloma is dependent on recruitment of activated cells through adhesion molecules and chemokines. M. tuberculosis infection causes an increase in the expression of β-chemokines CCL3, CCL4, and CCL5, and their receptor CCR5, in the lungs. In this study, we demonstrate that CCR5-transgenic knockout mice were capable of recruiting immune cells to the lung to form granulomas. CCR5−/− mice successfully induced a Th1 response and controlled infection. Unexpectedly, M. tuberculosis infection in these mice resulted in greater numbers of lymphocytes migrating to the lung and higher levels of many inflammatory cytokines, compared with wild-type mice, without apparent long-term detrimental effects. In the absence of CCR5, there were more dendritic cells in the lung-draining lymph nodes and more primed T lymphocytes in these mice. Bacterial numbers in the lymph nodes were also higher in CCR5−/− mice. Therefore, CCR5 may play a role in the migration of dendritic cells to and from the lymph nodes during M. tuberculosis infection.
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