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 Empey, K. M.
Right arrow Articles by Garvy, B. A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Empey, K. M.
Right arrow Articles by Garvy, B. A.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Infection and Immunity, November 2004, p. 6211-6220, Vol. 72, No. 11
0019-9567/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/IAI.72.11.6211-6220.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Passive Immunization of Neonatal Mice against Pneumocystis carinii f. sp. muris Enhances Control of Infection without Stimulating Inflammation

Kerry M. Empey,1 Melissa Hollifield,1 Kevin Schuer,1 Francis Gigliotti,2 and Beth A. Garvy1*

Departments of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Internal Medicine, University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington, Kentucky,1 Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York2

Received 30 April 2004/ Returned for modification 19 May 2004/ Accepted 16 July 2004

Pneumocystis carinii is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that causes life-threatening pneumonia in immunocompromised individuals. Infants appear to be particularly susceptible to infection with Pneumocystis. We have previously shown that there is a significant delay in clearance of the organisms from the lungs of neonatal mice compared to adults. Since alveolar macrophages are the effector cells responsible for killing and clearance of Pneumocystis, we have examined alveolar macrophage activity in neonatal mice. We found that alveolar macrophage activation is delayed about 1 week in Pneumocystis-infected neonates compared to adults. Opsonization of the organism by Pneumocystis-specific antibody resulted in increased clearance of the organism in neonatal mice; however, there was decreased expression of activation markers on neonatal alveolar macrophages and reduced levels of cytokines associated with macrophage activation. Mice born to immunized dams had significant amounts of Pneumocystis-specific immunoglobulin G in their lungs and serum at day 7 postinfection, whereas mice born to naïve dams had merely detectable levels. This difference correlated with enhanced Pneumocystis clearance in mice born to immunized dams. The increase in specific antibody, however, did not result in significant inflammation in the lungs, as no differences in numbers of activated CD4+ cells were observed. Furthermore, there was no difference in cytokine or chemokine concentrations in the lungs of pups born to immune compared to naïve dams. These findings indicate that specific antibody plays an important role in Pneumocystis clearance from lungs of infected neonates; moreover, this process occurs without inducing inflammation in the lungs.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, UKMC, Rm. MN668, 800 Rose St., Lexington, KY 40536-0298. Phone: (859) 323-5043. Fax: (859) 257-8994. E-mail: bgarv0{at}uky.edu.

Editor: T. R. Kozel

Infection and Immunity, November 2004, p. 6211-6220, Vol. 72, No. 11
0019-9567/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/IAI.72.11.6211-6220.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Hollifield, M., Ghanem, E. B., de Villiers, W. J. S., Garvy, B. A. (2007). Scavenger Receptor A Dampens Induction of Inflammation in Response to the Fungal Pathogen Pneumocystis carinii. Infect. Immun. 75: 3999-4005 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Empey, K. M., Hollifield, M., Garvy, B. A. (2007). Exogenous Heat-Killed Escherichia coli Improves Alveolar Macrophage Activity and Reduces Pneumocystis carinii Lung Burden in Infant Mice. Infect. Immun. 75: 3382-3393 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Gigliotti, F., Crow, E. L., Bhagwat, S. P., Wright, T. W. (2006). Sensitized CD8+ T Cells Fail To Control Organism Burden but Accelerate the Onset of Lung Injury during Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia. Infect. Immun. 74: 6310-6316 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hung, C.-Y., Seshan, K. R., Yu, J.-J., Schaller, R., Xue, J., Basrur, V., Gardner, M. J., Cole, G. T. (2005). A Metalloproteinase of Coccidioides posadasii Contributes to Evasion of Host Detection. Infect. Immun. 73: 6689-6703 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»