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Infection and Immunity, July 1999, p. 3329-3333, Vol. 67, No. 7
0019-9567/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Experimental Lyme Arthritis in the Absence of Interleukin-4 or Gamma Interferon

Charles R. Brown,1 and Steven L. Reiner1,2,*

Department of Medicine and Gwen Knapp Center for Lupus and Immunology Research, Committee on Immunology,1 and Committee on Developmental Biology,2 University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637

Received 4 February 1999/Returned for modification 26 March 1999/Accepted 15 April 1999

Genetic resistance and susceptibility to experimental Lyme arthritis have been linked with the production of interleukin-4 (IL-4) or gamma interferon (IFN-gamma ), respectively. To determine the absolute requirement for these cytokines in disease outcome, we compared arthritis development in wild-type, IL-4-deficient (IL-4°), and IFN-gamma -deficient (IFN-gamma °) mice. While susceptible C3H mice developed swelling of ankle joints during the second week of infection, this swelling was exacerbated in C3H IFN-gamma ° mice. Their arthritis severity scores at day 21, however, were similar. Resolution of arthritis was also similar between C3H and C3H IFN-gamma ° mice. Arthritis-resistant DBA mice did not develop ankle swelling during the experimental period. There were no differences in ankle swelling or arthritis severity scores between control DBA mice and DBA IL-4° mice at any of the time points tested. While the presence of spirochetes in various tissues was similar among all strains at day 21, DBA IL-4° mice had a higher presence of spirochetes in blood, heart, and spleen than the DBA, C3H, and C3H IFN-gamma ° mice did at day 60. DBA IL-4° mice also had impaired ability to produce Borrelia-specific antibody responses, especially immunoglobulin G1. Thus, while IFN-gamma and IL-4 are not absolutely required for arthritis susceptibility or resistance, the production of IL-4 does appear to play an important role in Borrelia-specific antibody production and spirochete clearance.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Gwen Knapp Center for Lupus and Immunology Research, University of Chicago, 924 E. 57th St., R422, Chicago, IL 60637. Phone: (773) 702-4730. Fax: (773) 702-1576. E-mail: sreiner{at}midway.uchicago.edu.

Infection and Immunity, July 1999, p. 3329-3333, Vol. 67, No. 7
0019-9567/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


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