Immunocytochemical Detection Of Cytokines In The Lymph Nodes And Brains Of Mice Resistant Or Susceptible To Toxoplasmic Encephalitis

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 170; no. 4; pp. 939 - 945
• Main Authors: Hunter, c. A., Litton, M. J., Remington, J. S., Abrams, J. S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States The University of Chicago Press 01-10-1994; University of Chicago Press
• Subjects: Animals; Brain - immunology; Brain - pathology; Central nervous system; Cytokines; Disease Susceptibility; Encephalitis; Female; Immunity, Innate; Immunohistochemistry - methods; Infections; Interferon-gamma - analysis; Interferon-gamma - physiology; Interleukins; Lymph nodes; Lymph Nodes - immunology; Lymph Nodes - pathology; Major Article; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Inbred CBA; Species Specificity; T lymphocytes; Toxoplasmosis; Toxoplasmosis, Cerebral - immunology; Toxoplasmosis, Cerebral - pathology; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - analysis; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - physiology; Tumor necrosis factors
• DOI: 10.1093/infdis/170.4.939
• EISSN: 1537-6613
• ISSN: 0022-1899

BALB/c mice develop toxoplasmic encephalitis (TE) but the pathology resolves; in contrast, CBA/Ca mice develop progressive TE. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed peak staining for interferon-v (IFN-ã) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in lymph nodes of both strains on day 7 of infection, with elevated levels of IFN-ã and TNF persisting in CBA/Ca mice. TNF was present in the central nervous systems (CNS) of both strains of mice and correlated with severity of pathology. Interleukin (IL)-2 was detected in lymph nodes and CNS of CBA/Ca mice after day 52 of infection and only in the lymph nodes of BALB/c mice between days 14 and 21 after infection. Highest levels of IL-I0 were observed in lymph nodes and CNS of infected CBA/Ca mice. Variations in cytokine levels in lymph nodes and CNS of these mouse strains may account for differences in their susceptibility to TE.