Regulatory roles of NKT cells in Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection
2009
Choi, K.S., Kyungpook National University, Sangju, Republic of Korea | Chae, J.S., Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) is caused by the obligate intracellular bacterium Anaplasma (A.) phagocytophilm. Natural killer T (NKT) cells are key players in host defense against various microbial infections. We investigated the role of NKT cells in immune response to A. phagocytophilum infection using NKT-knockout (Jα18-/-) mice. Jα18-/- and wild-type (WT) mice were infected with low-passage A. phagocytophilum and assayed for hepatic histopathology and cytokine production during 7 days post-infection. Compared to WT control, the infected Jα18-/- mice had much less histopathologic lesions and less apoptosis through day 7, and lower concentrations of IFN-γ and IL-12, but not of IL-10. This result suggests that NKT cells are major components in the pathogenesis of HGA.
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