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Infection and Immunity, May 1999, p. 2082-2089, Vol. 67, No. 5
Infectious Disease Section, Veterans Affairs
Medical Center,1 and Infectious Disease
Division, University of Minnesota,2 Minneapolis,
Minnesota
Received 21 September 1998/Returned for modification 4 December
1998/Accepted 27 January 1999
We studied cytokine proteins and mRNAs in mice with two forms of
Toxoplasma gondii pneumonia resulting from reactivation of infection. In the first form, mice were infected with T. gondii, developed and recovered from systemic disease, and then
developed pneumonia 3 weeks later. As pulmonary inflammation developed, levels of cytokine mRNAs for gamma interferon (IFN-
0019-9567/99/$04.00+0
Changes in Cytokine Levels during Reactivation
of Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Lungs
),
interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-4, and IL-10 increased in bronchoalveolar
lavage (BAL) cells or lung tissue, and the level of IFN-
protein
increased in BAL fluid. The second form of pneumonia occurred as a
complication of primary cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease in mice with
dormant T. gondii infection. During CMV disease, IL-2
mRNA levels decreased in lung tissue, IL-10 protein levels
increased in lung tissue, and IL-10 protein levels increased in BAL
fluid. As the mice recovered from CMV disease, T. gondii infection was reactivated in the lungs and was manifested
as T. gondii pneumonia. During CMV-induced T. gondii pneumonia, IFN-
, IL-2, IL-4, and IL-10
mRNA levels increased in BAL cells or lung tissue, and both IFN-
and IL-2 protein levels increased in BAL fluid. We concluded that both forms of T. gondii pneumonia are
accompanied by increases in both type 1 T-helper and type 2 T-helper
cytokine levels in lungs. The mechanism of CMV-induced reactivation of
T. gondii infection in lungs may involve local
decreases in IL-2 levels and/or increases in IL-10 levels.
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Infectious
Disease Section (111F), 1 Veterans Dr., Veterans Affairs Medical
Center, Minneapolis, MN 55417. Phone: (612) 725-2000, ext. 4185. Fax: (612) 727-5995. E-mail: filic001{at}tc.umn.edu.
Present address: Infectious Diseases Division, Department of
Internal Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536-0284.
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