IAI FigSearch
Home Help [Feedback] [For Subscribers] [Archive] [Search] [Contents]
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Kullberg, M. C.
Right arrow Articles by Sher, A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Kullberg, M. C.
Right arrow Articles by Sher, A.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Infection and Immunity, November 1998, p. 5157-5166, Vol. 66, No. 11
0019-9567/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Helicobacter hepaticus Triggers Colitis in Specific-Pathogen-Free Interleukin-10 (IL-10)-Deficient Mice through an IL-12- and Gamma Interferon-Dependent Mechanism

Marika C. Kullberg,1,* Jerrold M. Ward,2 Peter L. Gorelick,3 Patricia Caspar,1 Sara Hieny,1 Allen Cheever,1,4 Dragana Jankovic,1 and Alan Sher1

Immunobiology Section, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-04251; Veterinary and Tumor Pathology Section, Animal Sciences Branch, Office of Laboratory Animal Resources, Division of Basic Sciences, National Cancer Institute,2 and Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Laboratory Animal Sciences Program, NCI-FCRDC, Science Applications International Corporation,3 Frederick, Maryland 21702-1201; and The Biomedical Research Institute, Rockville, Maryland 208524

Received 23 June 1998/Accepted 11 August 1998

Mice rendered deficient in interleukin-10 (IL-10) by gene targeting (IL-10-/- mice) develop chronic enterocolitis resembling human inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) when maintained in conventional animal facilities. However, they display a minimal and delayed intestinal inflammatory response when reared under specific-pathogen-free (SPF) conditions, suggesting the involvement of a microbial component in pathogenesis. We show here that experimental infection with a single bacterial agent, Helicobacter hepaticus, induces chronic colitis in SPF-reared IL-10-/- mice and that the disease is accompanied by a type 1 cytokine response (gamma interferon [IFN-gamma ], tumor necrosis factor alpha, and nitric oxide) detected by restimulation of spleen and mesenteric lymph node cells with a soluble H. hepaticus antigen (Ag) preparation. In contrast, wild-type (WT) animals infected with the same bacteria did not develop disease and produced IL-10 as the dominant cytokine in response to Helicobacter Ag. Strong H. hepaticus-reactive antibody responses as measured by Ag-specific total immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgG1, IgG2a, IgG2b, IgG3, and IgA were observed in both WT and IL-10-/- mice. In vivo neutralization of IFN-gamma or IL-12 resulted in a significant reduction of intestinal inflammation in H. hepaticus-infected IL-10-/- mice, suggesting an important role for these cytokines in the development of colitis in the model. Taken together, these microbial reconstitution experiments formally establish that a defined bacterial agent can serve as the immunological target in the development of large bowel inflammation in IL-10-/- mice and argue that in nonimmunocompromised hosts IL-10 stimulated in response to intestinal flora is important in preventing IBD.


* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Immunobiology Section, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Building 4, Room 126, 4 Center Dr. MSC 0425, Bethesda, MD 20892-0425. Phone: (301) 496-8218. Fax: (301) 402-0890. E-mail: MKULLBERG{at}atlas.niaid.nih.gov.


Infection and Immunity, November 1998, p. 5157-5166, Vol. 66, No. 11
0019-9567/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:




Home Help [Feedback] [For Subscribers] [Archive] [Search] [Contents]
J. Bacteriol. J. Virol. Eukaryot. Cell
Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. Clin. Vaccine Immunol. All ASM Journals

Copyright © 1998 by the American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.