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Infection and Immunity, May 2001, p. 3175-3180, Vol. 69, No. 5
0019-9567/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/IAI.69.5.3175-3180.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Extensive Mycobacterium bovis BCG Infection of Liver Parenchymal Cells in Immunocompromised Mice

John W. Mills,dagger Lynn Ryan, Ronald LaCourse, and Robert J. North*

The Trudeau Institute, Saranac Lake, New York 12983

Received 8 December 2000/Returned for modification 3 January 2001/Accepted 29 January 2001

A histologic study was performed on the livers of wild-type (WT), severe combined immunodeficient (SCID), hydrocortisone acetate (HC)-treated WT, and HC-treated SCID mice infected intravenously with 105 CFU of Mycobacterium bovis BCG. It was found that infection progressed faster in SCID mice than in WT mice and that HC treatment caused exacerbation of infection in both types of mice. In all cases infection in the liver was confined to granulomas that were populated predominantly by macrophages. Higher levels of infection in HC-treated SCID mice, but not HC-treated WT mice, were associated with extensive infection and destruction of parenchymal cells at the margins of granulomas. The results indicate that in the absence of T-cell-mediated immunity and of HC-sensitive T-cell-independent defense mechanisms, macrophages are incapable of restricting BCG growth and of confining infection to their cytoplasm. Consequently, BCG bacilli are released into the extracellular environment, where they are ingested by neighboring parenchymal cells.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Trudeau Institute, 100 Algonquin Ave., Saranac Lake, NY 12983. Phone: (518) 891-3080. Fax: (518) 891-5126. E-mail: rjnorth{at}northnet.org

dagger Present address: Paul Smith's College of Arts and Sciences, Paul Smiths, NY 12970.

Infection and Immunity, May 2001, p. 3175-3180, Vol. 69, No. 5
0019-9567/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/IAI.69.5.3175-3180.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


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