Antigen-specific B-cell unresponsiveness induced by chronic Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis infection of cattle

• Published in: Infection and immunity Vol. 67; no. 4; pp. 1593 - 1598
• Main Authors: WATERS, W. R, STABEL, J. R, SACCO, R. E, HARP, J. A, PESCH, B. A, WANNEMUEHLER, M. J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for Microbiology 01-04-1999
• Subjects: Animal bacterial diseases; Animals; Antibodies, Bacterial - blood; Antibodies, Bacterial - immunology; Antigens, Bacterial - immunology; B-Lymphocytes - immunology; Bacterial diseases; Bacterial Infections; Biological and medical sciences; Cattle; Cattle Diseases - immunology; Cattle Diseases - microbiology; Cell Division; Cells, Cultured; Chronic Disease; Crohn Disease - blood; Crohn Disease - immunology; Crohn Disease - microbiology; Immunoglobulin M - blood; Immunoglobulin M - immunology; Infectious diseases; Interferon-gamma - biosynthesis; Interferon-gamma - immunology; Medical sciences; Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis; Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis - growth & development; Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis - immunology; Paratuberculosis - blood; Paratuberculosis - immunology; Paratuberculosis - microbiology; Phenotype; Immune response; Bovine; Pathogenesis; Mycobacterium avium; Cellular immunity; B-Lymphocyte; Mycobacterial infection; Infection; Vertebrata; Chronic; Mammalia; Mycobacteriales; Bacteriosis; Mycobacteriaceae; Bacteria; Evolution; Actinomycetes; Artiodactyla; Veterinary; Ungulata
• ISSN: 0019-9567; 1098-5522
• DOI: 10.1128/IAI.67.4.1593-1598.1999

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis infection of cattle results in a chronic granulomatous enteritis. Clinical disease (i.e., cachexia, diarrhea, and high fecal bacterial counts) is preceded by a lengthy subclinical stage of disease. The immunologic mechanisms associated with the progression of infected cattle from subclinical to clinical disease are unclear. In this study, a cell proliferation assay was used in combination with flow cytometry to compare peripheral blood lymphocyte responses of cattle with subclinical paratuberculosis to responses of cattle with clinical paratuberculosis. B cells from cattle with subclinical disease proliferated vigorously upon stimulation with M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis antigen, with up to 12.4% of the total B cells responding. However, B cells from cattle with clinical disease did not proliferate upon antigen stimulation despite good proliferation in response to concanavalin A stimulation. In addition, these animals had high percentages of peripheral blood B cells. B cells from noninfected animals did not proliferate upon M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis antigen stimulation. Thus, it appears that B-cell proliferation is a sensitive indicator of subclinical Johne's disease. Furthermore, the immunologic mechanisms responsible for the antigen-specific unresponsiveness of peripheral blood B cells may be significant in the eventual progression from subclinical to clinical Johne's disease in cattle.