This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Gambrill, M. R. Articles by Wisseman, C. L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Gambrill, M. R. Articles by Wisseman, C. L., Jr.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Infect Immun. 1973 October; 8(4): 631-640
Copyright © 1973 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Mechanisms of Immunity in Typhus Infections III. Influence of Human Immune Serum and Complement on the Fate of Rickettsia mooseri Within Human Macrophages

^a Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21201

ABSTRACT

Preincubation of Rickettsia mooseri with human typhus convalescent serum, which is not rickettsiacidal but which confers passive protection to animals, opsonizes the rickettsiae for enhanced phagocytosis by monocyte-derived human macrophages in cell culture and renders them susceptible to destruction within the macrophages. Nonspecific opsonization by preincubation of the rickettsia with methylated bovine serum albumin enhances phagocytosis, but the rickettsiae are not prepared for intracellular destruction. Instead, they grow within the macrophages and eventually destroy these cells. Thus, immune serum and macrophages, neither of which is capable of killing these rickettsiae alone, act in concert to destroy the virulent organisms. In this system, immune serum appears to exert two distinct, possibly dissociable, actions on the rickettsiae: enhancement of phagocytosis and preparation for intracellular destruction. Complement is not required for this action but, when present with immune serum, markedly enhances phagocytosis of the rickettsiae, often leading to rapid destruction of the macrophage.

¹ Present address: Cellular Immunology Research Laboratory, Veterans Administration Hospital, Washington, D.C. 20422.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Lopez, J. E., Siems, W. F., Palmer, G. H., Brayton, K. A., McGuire, T. C., Norimine, J., Brown, W. C. (2005). Identification of Novel Antigenic Proteins in a Complex Anaplasma marginale Outer Membrane Immunogen by Mass Spectrometry and Genomic Mapping. Infect. Immun. 73: 8109-8118 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Feng, H.-M., Whitworth, T., Olano, J. P., Popov, V. L., Walker, D. H. (2004). Fc-Dependent Polyclonal Antibodies and Antibodies to Outer Membrane Proteins A and B, but Not to Lipopolysaccharide, Protect SCID Mice against Fatal Rickettsia conorii Infection. Infect. Immun. 72: 2222-2228 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Feng, H.-M., Walker, D. H. (2000). Mechanisms of Intracellular Killing of Rickettsia conorii in Infected Human Endothelial Cells, Hepatocytes, and Macrophages. Infect. Immun. 68: 6729-6736 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Winslow, G. M., Yager, E., Shilo, K., Volk, E., Reilly, A., Chu, F. K. (2000). Antibody-Mediated Elimination of the Obligate Intracellular Bacterial Pathogen Ehrlichia chaffeensis during Active Infection. Infect. Immun. 68: 2187-2195 [Abstract] [Full Text]